


Little Mermaid

by amycoolz, SylviaW1991



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Again, College!AU, M/M, Single Dad AU, Single Parent Lance (Voltron), sorry we made nyma mean, whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-05-26 17:41:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 48,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15005999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amycoolz/pseuds/amycoolz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SylviaW1991/pseuds/SylviaW1991
Summary: Lance has always dreamed of being a pilot. He dreamt of hot flight attendants and being the coolest of jet-setters. But then his life got turned upside-down and now, while not on hold, those dreams have been modified in a big way. He has something - someone - more important to focus on and be exhausted by.And then there's Keith. Top of the class, already licensed to fly, and stupidly attractive. Fuck that guy.*Rating will go up as chapters are posted.





	1. Chapter 01

It had been a long time since he'd gotten laid. Lance sighed heavily, strapping his miniature equivalent into her carseat. She'd be too big for it soon. Another year and she'd be riding like a big girl. She could already buckle the middle by herself, but held her juice box up and made Lance do it this time. “Did you have fun with Aunt Mary?”

“Yeah! S’a puppy!”

He let his eyes widen, humoring her. “There was a puppy?”

She nodded, the bow he'd carefully clipped into her thick braid wobbling. It was far more skewed than when he'd dropped her off pre-date. “It said ‘woof woof.’”

“Mm. That does sound like a puppy.” Lance kissed her temple and gave the straps a quick, practiced check before stepping back. He walked around the front of his car, waving at his sister since she was watching from the porch. Her own baby was resting on her hip, Molly almost three years younger than her cousin and far more planned. Nothing in his life had gone as planned since his girlfriend of three months had handed him a positive pregnancy test at sixteen.

Including that night's date. He climbed into the driver's seat of his old blue hatchback, checking on the three-year-old in his rearview. The plan had been for her to have a sleepover if all went well, and he'd so been hoping for things to go well. Was it so impossible to get one night of some hot, sweaty sex? His condoms were going to expire at this rate, but no one seemed to want to stick with the guy who'd gotten with the wrong girl.

Not that he wanted anyone to stick. He had the blessing of that mistake in his backseat and she didn't leave a lot of room for someone else. He'd been hopeful that a bunch of college guys would be thrilled at the prospect of a one-night stand, but nope. The minute he mentioned his girl - and how could he not? - the date would be over and he'd be lucky to get a handshake. Girls hadn't proven to be any more fruitful, and the ones who'd been interested had made warning bells ring so loud, he'd been the one to walk off.

Still, he smiled as he backed out of the driveway. “Do you like the puppy more than you like Blue?”

She gasped, shaking her head. “I love Blue, papi! She's fluffy!”

And she'd wandered in just as unexpectedly as the little girl. The fluffy gray stray had taken up residence on his windowsill one rainy afternoon. Feeling bad for the tiny thing, he'd opened his window and lured her in with a bit of chicken and a bowl of lactose-free milk. When the cat had returned every day for a week, eventually staying through the night, Lance had just figured he had a cat now. Another thing to squeeze into his penny-pinching budget.

Lance put the music on low as he drove, that and the golden streetlights lulling the little girl to sleep before they reached the tiny campus apartment complex. It was an hour commute to Mary's, his closest sibling. Two hours to his parents’ or they'd probably still be with them. Unless a miracle happened, they'd likely end up back there after college. If he ever graduated. Already a year behind the group he'd started with, Lance was starting to wonder.

He gathered the baby bag, slinging the strap across his body and adjusting it after getting out of the car. He walked to the other side to gather up the sleeping bundle, cradling her carefully while he locked the car. In a heavy sleep he and his exhausted self envied, Lance carried her up the stairs since the elevator was entering month sixth of out-of-order status, thankful for the small miracle of a second floor apartment. He couldn't imagine hauling her up any higher.

She stirred when he settled her in her brand new big-girl bed, a gift from his oldest brother. The lilac sheets had been a gift from his oldest sister, and he felt like a leech when he really thought about how much of hers had been a gift from family. “Papi?”

“Yeah, my sweet girl, it's me.” Lance kissed her nose, lips traveling to her eyelids so they'd lower again. “It's bedtime.”

“No.” Her whine was interrupted by a yawn, and she didn't fight when he slipped her shoes off or when he replaced her frilled dress for a nightdress. He gently unclipped her bow and set it on the nightstand, smiling when she stayed in place when he tucked her favorite toy under her arm. The pastel purple lion that he'd bought himself was worn and missing its original eyes, but he'd stitched on new ones and his girl loved them just the same. The tail would need reattached next, but he still needed to find a thread that matched. He hadn't had time to visit a craft store in months. “Music, papi.”

“I know, _china_.” She was so much like him. It never failed to amaze him. He turned on her favorite CD, the violins sweeping richly into the room to help her sleep. He crossed back, kissing her brow, and left her with a nightlight and cracked door.

He got to spend another night falling asleep with a schoolbook open on his chest and a cat in his lap. He'd probably fall asleep mid-sex if he ever got lucky enough to get that far again.

Damn.

\---

Lance never really stopped taking classes. In the summers, he could only take one and usually filled up his freetime with extra hours at whatever job he could get. He'd worked fast food, at gas stations, coffee shops, and had spent two months deboning chickens in a factory. Worst job ever, hands down. During the regular school year, he'd worked in the mail room and at the library. The teacher's aide position had been a godsend of stability and an opportunity for him to audit a class he didn't yet have access to. It helped that the professor was familiar with him and his situation, having helped Lance through more than one class over the past two years. He'd even told Lance about the position before it was viewable on the student portal.

That kind generosity was met with Lance being late on the first day. He just hadn't expected the preschool to call him at lunch, needing him to bring fresh clothes for his daughter. And then he'd needed a few minutes in the parking lot to feel bad thanks to the snooty looks he'd gotten from what he gathered to be preschool’s version of an assistant principal. Like he was the bad guy for not packing an extra change of clothes independently. Sorry he'd never had another kid spill chocolate milk on his daughter before. Sorry he'd packed her strawberry milk because the school didn't offer a lactose-free option. Sorry he was twenty years old having to think about _preschool_.

Thankfully, the actual teacher had been more understanding or he'd be showing up late with a kid in tow. He tried to slip in unobtrusively, but the only door was in front and the professor was standing near it. It was nothing for the twenty students in the room to shift their gazes to the newcomer, so Lance swallowed his insecurities and grinned as if the attention was welcome. “Professor Smythe, hey. What's happening?”

His orange mustache twitched as he suppressed a smile. Instead, he angled his head towards his desk across the room and the place he'd set for him. “Glad you could join us, Lance. Take a seat.”

Strolling across the room like he owned it, Lance took his spot next to the desk and tugged out a notebook. It was syllabus day, and he already had a copy so he unfolded it from the notebook and readied himself to take notes. It was his only afternoon class and his first ever. The daycare had only run to one, so he'd had to cram what he could in too few hours. Preschool was blessedly longer.

As Coran spoke, Lance scanned the room. He recognized a handful of students and it pained him a little to know that he should be taking the class with them rather than sitting in on it like a lump. One student in particular had his shoulders stiffening.

Keith fucking Kogane. Of course. He was another Lance had started with, but he seemed to be the golden boy. While Lance struggled for B’s and argued his way to C's, Keith somehow sailed through at the top of the class. He already had his recreational pilot's certificate, was the cousin of the completely amazing flight instructor, and just... He was perfect. He'd also completely ignored Lance in the only two classes they'd ever had together, making him feel like a bug, so Lance felt justified in completely hating him and determined to make it through. Just to show him and his stupid hair up.

When he looked up, brows lowering in confusion or annoyance over those weird violet eyes he had, Lance sneered and quickly looked away. Maybe he should've found time to look at the student roster Coran had given him instead of pushing it off. Damn it.

Keith was definitely confused and just a little annoyed - a _lot_ annoyed - at the aide at the front of the room. He didn't even know _why_ , but something about the way he looked at Keith had his blood boiling. Except maybe boiling wasn't the right word, but Keith couldn't think of another way to describe it. Ultimately, he decided to ignore the other man and pay attention to the professor, turning back towards him with only a slight eye roll.

Coran, oblivious to them, continued on with his lesson. He not only had the syllabus planned, but a pretest to gauge the knowledge base in the room and an introduction to the first chapter if there was time. Aviation Law was a dry subject for most students, but he found it invaluable and liked to make sure all of his students were able to operate at max capacity. So when be walked by Lance to find him nodding off, he only dropped a stack of papers in front of him and smiled instead of scolding him. “I'll have Lance here pass out the pre-tests. Knowing where you all are is vital in my planning as an educator. I wouldn't want to tell you all something you don't know!”

Lance rose, taking one of the tests for himself before carrying the stack. He counted them out per row, handing a stack to the front so they could be passed back. Keith's row, the first he dealt with, was deliberately one short.

“Hey,” Keith called out from the back after the papers had been passed out, only to not have received one. “You shorted us one.”

“Okay.” Lance didn't even look at him, sending an easy, flirtatious smile to a guy he vaguely recognized from one of his classes the previous spring as he handed him a stack.

Was this guy fucking serious? Fuming, Keith rose from his seat and marched towards him, spinning him around with a hand on his shoulder. “I _said_ you shorted us one. I need a test.” _Asshole_ nearly made it past his lips at the end of his sentence, but Keith managed to rein it in.

There was something incredibly satisfying about Keith's pissed off expression. Lance arched a brow, gaze skimming him casually. “Yeah. _I_ said ‘okay.’ I'll get there when I get there. Can't handle being last for once, Kogane?”

“I can't _handle_ people who wanna be dicks for no reason,” he hissed lowly. “You could have easily just turned back and handed our row another one instead of moving on.”

“And you could have easily waited for me to get back to you. Instead, you're just an impatient jerk.” Lance gave him his sweetest smile, offering a test with a flourish. “But here, princess, if you can't wait your turn like a grown-up, you can have this.”

“Ugh, _whatever_ ,” Keith grumbled, taking the opportunity of his hand on Lance's shoulder to lightly shove him away as he walked back to his desk. He'd show him who came in last, and it wasn't going to be Keith.

Lance rolled his eyes, but was happy as can be as he passed out the rest of the papers. It was petty and he knew it was, but he didn't have to be a role model all the time. Only when his daughter was around. He set the remaining pages on Coran’s desk before taking his seat again. The class may have been a year ahead of him, but he'd studied it in his free time. He bit his lip at the cacophony of numbers and cases, dates and names. How was he going to get through school? Like, ever?

“Once everyone is finished, I'd like you to bring your papers up to Lance here so he can begin grading them, and we'll go over the answers together,” Coran announced.

Great. Keith grumbled quietly as he rolled his eyes down at his test. At this point, Keith wouldn't put it past Lance to doctor his paper or something, as big a jerk as he was being. Whatever. He'd take the stupid test - which he'd probably ace anyway - and hand it in dutifully to the TA as instructed so he could get the hell out of there. Picking up his pencil, Keith sent one more glare Lance's way before his eyes settled on the first question on the page.

Lance scored his own off the key Coran handed him, biting his lip at the score. He thought he knew more than a D’s worth of information. Apparently not. He folded it and tucked it into his notebook before reaching for the first test by the class. Their F made him feel a little better, but not by much. When Keith walked up and dropped his paper on top of the stack, Lance smirked at him and silently shifted it to the bottom of the pile.

Keith scowled at him and continued to glare at him from his desk when he made it back. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Keith hadn't even _done_ anything, he didn't even know who Lance _was_ , but the TA was being such an asshole. Whatever, Keith knew he'd done fairly well on the stupid little pre-test, so he wasn't going to worry about it. Instead he sat back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest to wait for everyone else to be finished.

When someone raised their hands and asked what to do after they finished, Coran encouraged them to open their textbooks if they had them. “I know they cost a small fortune, but it is vital that everyone get these books as soon as possible. I have discount codes for rentals available for those who prefer to rent, and Lance knows how to get a free digital copy if you would like that.”

Lance looked up, cheeks pinkening at the mention. He'd found every discount code or free volume for all of his classes and could only pray that it never mattered if he was an edition or two behind. “Yeah, I'm fine with sending the file to anyone to make it easy.”

Was he though? Keith doubted he'd be fine with giving _him_ the file, so it was a good thing that he already had the book. He took another second to glare daggers at Lance before he dug the textbook out of his backpack, just barely resisting the urge to slam it down.

Lance rolled his eyes, a little disappointed that he couldn't just deny him the book as he'd wanted. Or, better yet, a corrupted file. _Oh, gee, Keith, I don't know why it's not working for you. It worked for everyone else._

It would've been satisfying, but he contented himself with grading Keith's paper last. The B made his grip tighten on his pen, but even he wasn't nasty enough to change the grade or fuck with his answers. But, god, did it make him feel low. He rose after shuffling Keith's paper to the bottom again, and called out names as he passed papers back. Keith's was more tossed, catching the air oddly and landing on the floor, but Lance smirked yet again as he turned on his heel to return to his place.

The urge to trip him was almost too strong to ignore, but Keith didn't want to get in trouble on the first fucking day, so he resigned himself to reaching down and grabbing his test off the floor. The red B at the top had him scowling once more, but at least they weren't actually being graded on it. He'd just have to study so he could do better on their first real test.

The rest of the class was spent with Coran reviewing the pre-test, reminding everyone to keep track of it as it would be worth extra credit at the end of the semester, and reviewing the introduction of the first chapter. Lance was rather proud of himself for only checking his phone three times. The first day she'd gone to daycare, he'd checked it that many times in ten minutes. The lack of emergency relieved him as much as the end of class, though he wouldn't be able to escape anytime soon. Several students came up to him for an e-book, and he jotted down their names. He'd find the emails in the student portal, thankfully, so wasn't worried about those.

When they'd left and only a scattering of students remained, Lance made his way to Coran. “Hey, I'm... I'm sorry I was late today. Some bratty kid got mad at Sirena for not trading her milk and decided to spill his all over her. I had to take her some clothes and listen to a lecture.”

Coran smile, patting his shoulder. “I understand. These things happen. Ah, Keith! Could I have a moment?”

He stopped in front of them on his way out the door, tugging out the one headphone he'd already popped in. He steadfastly ignored Lance, though couldn't help but wonder what they'd been talking about before Coran called him over. “Yeah, what's up?”

“I noticed that you'd signed up for Aviation Legislation as well. It's a larger class, so the location on your schedule isn't correct. We'll actually be one room over, but the time is still the same.” Coran smiled at Lance. “If you can get here a little early tomorrow, I'd appreciate it. I'll need you to direct traffic to the correct room since I'm doubtful most students will check their messages tonight.”

So he'd be stuck with Keith four days a week. Monday and Wednesday for Law and Tuesday and Thursday for Legislation. Fuck. “Sure thing.”

Keith shrugged, sticking the headphone back in his ear. “No problem,” he replied nonchalantly, though was secretly relieved that he hadn't about to get in trouble for his behavior earlier.

“Wonderful. Have a good day, Keith. And in the future, please don't cause a scene if you don't get a paper right away.”

Shit. “It won't happen again,” he promised, and with one last lingering glare at Lance, he shoved his other headphone in and breezed out the door.

“What was that about?”

Lance shrugged. “I don't know,” he lied. “Maybe he just can't handle being last.”

“Well, his life isn't as simple as it seems on the surface, so try and be kind to him.”

Hell no. “Sure.”

\---

He spent the next two weeks very deliberately and sneakily torturing Keith. He made sure he got everything last, if he even got it at all. One of his Law quizzes was “accidentally” shuffled into a stack of unrelated Legislation worksheets, so it was two classes later before it was found. He ignored him more often than not, only acknowledging him when there was no one else, and he _knew_ it was driving Keith crazy.

So did Katie “Pidge” Holt. Not because Keith glared at her silently from across a room and had tried to corner him at the end of class one day, but because he complained to her. Endlessly. Lance McClain had become a daily topic and she was about over it. Today's subtopic under the Lance heading was his abrupt departure from class. He'd stepped out to answer his phone and had run back in, face ashen as he'd hurriedly packed his things and very literally sprinted out the door. Most of the class had grown to adore Lance, which was another gripe she often heard, so it had derailed the rest of class to the point where Coran had dismissed them early.

“Why is that a problem? You like early dismissals.”

“Yeah, but why is he basically the one that ended class? We were in the middle of an interesting lecture for once, and all of a sudden it was over.”

She shook her head. “I don't know, Keith. He's an idiot, but a lot of people like that about him. Besides, Professor Smythe’ll just pick back up where he left off next time.”

“It's the _principle_ , Pidge,” Keith groused. “How many times have you seen a TA that can disrupt class like that? Usually the professors don't give a shit, so why is this guy so special?”

“Because his home life is really rough and he's friends with every single professor in the program. _Including_ Shiro. His private Sunday lessons? Those are with Lance.” She'd been sworn to secrecy on a lot of things with Lance. As honest as he was with professors who could affect his future, he was very closed with the rest of the student body. But she was tired of the stupid complaints. “People like him, Keith. You would too if you'd stop being pissed at him for two seconds. Do you even care _why_ he left?”

“ _No_.” But that sounded really mean, and as annoyed and just generally pissed off as he was at Lance, Keith wasn't inherently a mean person. He bit his lip before sighing. “He looked really upset over whatever it was. So maybe a little, but whatever. He's been an asshole to me from day one, for no reason! So if he thinks I don't actually care, then fine.”

Pidge sighed gustily. “I'm about to break a friend code, and you're not allowed to tell. Got it? I'll know you told, and I'll fillet you.”

“You'll _fillet_ me? What the hell, Pidge?” The look on her face was pointed, so Keith just slumped forward. “Okay, fine. What?”

“You had some classes with him freshman year, and you completely ignored him. Like, every single class you had together. Lance doesn't like to be ignored, so that's part of why he's been an ass to you. You're very much not ignoring him anymore.” Pidge shrugged. “That's the petty reason. The bigger reason is that he basically thinks of you as a rival. You have everything he wants and he's been working hard as hell to get where you're at, but he can't. He's too stupid to see that he's achieved an _amazing_ amount of stuff for everything he's been dealing with in his personal life, but that's his problem. He's petty because you ignored him and jealous.”

“What the fuck. Lance is pissy because he's _jealous_ of me? What does he have to be jealous of? That I have to work two shitty jobs just to afford to live? Or that I basically had to beg my way into this school after I got expelled from high school?” The only reason they'd even allowed him in was because Shiro worked there. Keith shook his head, balling his hands into fists on the table. “Or maybe he's jealous that I'm an orphan. I don't know, Pidge! This is news to me!”

“He doesn't know any of that, Keith.” Pidge sighed, leaning back in her chair. “He only knows that you've already got your recreational license, that you're related to a professor, and that you're top of the class. And you honestly make it look easy. No one ever sees you studying and you're as closed off personally as Lance is. Probably more. At least he's been on a date this month.”

Keith tried to ignore his own stab of jealousy, but he couldn't tell if he was jealous of Lance for getting a date - it had been a long time for Keith, too - or if he was jealous that someone else was dating Lance. That thought made him scoff out loud, shaking his head again. No way. “Whatever. I'll stop being pissed off as soon as he stops being an asshole to me.” Which didn't seem like it was going to happen anytime soon, so they might very well be at war forever.

“Or, if you want him to stop being an asshole, you'll confuse him with some positive attention.”

“Like what?”

“I don't know. Say hi to him? Say thanks when he hands you something? You're not the only one with two jobs, Keith, and the TA thing is only helping lower his tuition this semester.”

He sighed, but nodded. He supposed he could make a concentrated effort to at least be civil. “Okay, I guess you're right. I didn't come to school to make enemies anyway.”

“He didn't either, so you'll be fine. You can probably bond over your cats.”

Keith perked up a little bit at that. “He has a cat?”

She shook her head, kicking him lightly under the table. “I knew that'd get you. He even named her a color the same dumb way you did. Her name’s Blue.”

“It's not dumb!” he protested weakly. “Red is a perfectly good name for a cat.”

“I'm sticking with dumb. She's not even red. She's orange and pink.”

“Well, I wasn't going to name her ‘Orange’ or ‘Pink.’ _That's_ dumb.”

“The gay guy with a cat named Pink.” Her lips twitched, though she did her best to look serious. “That doesn't sound dumb at all.”

That gained a chuckle from him. “Shut up.” He visibly relaxed finally, though, lounging in his chair. “So… What kind of cat does he have?”

“Some gray stray that wandered in while it was raining. She kept coming back, so Lance scraped together some money for food and litter. I think Hunk paid the vet bill, but you didn't hear that from me.” It was definitely nicer to talk about Lance like he was a person rather than as the jerk who annoyed Keith for no reason. “You can always ask him about her.”

“Yeah, I guess I could.” Maybe he would. He might have to work up to it, though. Keith wasn't sure that Lance would want to just talk about his life right out of the gate, even if it was just his cat. “I'll try.”

“Good. That's all you need to do, man. Lance genuinely isn't that complicated. He's just had a rough few years.”

“And that's as much as you're gonna tell me, isn't it?”

“Yup. There are things I've never told him about you, but I've known you longer, so you're getting the first extra bit on him.” Pidge shrugged. “Plus, I know exactly why he left class early, so I'm on his side.”

“Alright,” he conceded with a long-suffering sigh. “I'll trust you this time.”

“You should always trust me. I'm always right.”

Keith didn't get a chance to act on her advice the next day, Lance not appearing in class long enough to do anything but tell Coran he wasn't going to be able to stay. When he nearly collided with Keith on his way out, Lance didn't bother to yell at him for it. He looked exhausted, the circles under his eyes dark and his hair a mess. He normally looked meticulous. Mumbling an apology, Lance sidestepped him and rushed down the hall.

The next day, he looked a little better. His hair was combed and the circles weren't as prominent. He was still obviously tired, getting up to walk the halls twice in the first half-hour just to keep himself awake. And when he had to pass out tests, he didn't bother to put Keith's in back. “Here, mullet.”

“Thanks,” he murmured, biting back the retort about his hair. It wasn't going to help.

Lance paused, waiting for the glare or the comeback, but one didn't come. “Christ, do I look that bad?”

“Better than yesterday.”

That didn't say much, but Lance bit his lip and resumed passing out papers and passing over questions asking if everything was okay. Everything was fine. He was fine. But if Keith was noticing something wrong... Lance frowned at him after returning to his seat. Why hadn't he been an asshole like normal? It was easy to be mean to him when he seemed untouchable and awful. It was part of why Lance had been so consistent. A break in routine would make him start to feel bad. So what the hell?

Keith glanced his way a few times during the lecture, though he managed to keep the glare at bay. After his discussion with Pidge a couple days ago, Keith really was making an effort to look at Lance in a new light, and he had to admit, it was actually kind of working. Lance just looked really exhausted from whatever else he did outside of school and his TA position, and Keith felt kind of bad for him now that he had a little bit more insight on him. He'd have to try to hold an actual conversation with him one day when they both had time.

It was still just confusing to Lance, watching Keith more than he paid attention to the lecture. He had a copy of everything already, but he liked to take his own notes too. He just couldn't focus. Maybe he was just too tired, but that Keith seemed to actually care enough to not kick him while he was already down stunned him and subdued a lot of the petty rage that had gotten him this far. The jealousy was still there, the frustration over being incapable of reaching Keith's level. But that was the part that wasn't Keith's fault. That was just Lance's life. He could only do so much, and he was pushing even that.

He quietly watched Keith the rest of class, avoiding eye contact when Coran dismissed everyone, and watched his boots shuffle closer, hesitate, and walk away. Holy crow. Keith was actually being nice.

He yanked out his phone, texting Hunk and Pidge.

He pursed his lips, glaring at his phone. His friends were against him. Completely.

Pidge shook her head, switching groups.

\---

It was probably a good thing that they'd cancelled on him. He was exhausted, and so was Sirena. The little girl was bouncing back from her little bout of the flu just fine. It was probably just a severe cold, but Lance was going to call it the flu until somebody invented a time machine and cleaned puke off her dress for him. Or out of his car. And then that someone had to erase his baby crying because her tummy hurt and her mouth tasted icky from his mind and then he'd be happy. Only then.

He picked her up from one of his brother's, smiling apologetically as he gathered her up. “Thanks a lot, Luis. I know it was crazy short notice.”

“No problem, bro. I get it. Besides, she spent most of the day playing on that tablet thing or napping. So she didn't exactly kill the house vibe or anything.”

“Papi, I'm hungry,” she mumbled against his neck.

“Okay, _chiquita_. We'll eat.”

“Nuggets?”

“We'll see.” Hell no. No processed anything with her stomach being what it was. She'd be asleep before they made it home anyway, and she could get soup. He stroked her hair gently, turning his attention back to Luis. “But, seriously, thanks. I don't know what I would've done if you'd been busy. She's a handful even when she's not sick, so-”

“Nah, she's a good kid. You're doing a good job, Lance.”

He could've cried. It's all he wanted to know. He just wanted all the sacrifice and struggle to be worth it in the end. He wanted a good, happy kid. “Thanks, Luis.”

“Anytime, bro. Don't keep her hidden away so much.”

He didn't know if he would've survived the court battles without his entire family backing him up, so she really was the family baby. He nodded slightly to avoid disturbing her. “I'll try. I actually have Sunday off, so I'm going to bring her home.”

“You'd better.”

Lance smiled, taking a step back. It was a long drive home. “I will, I promise. You can even tell mama.”

He waved at his brother before turning away, carrying Sirena to the car and buckling her into her carseat. He checked her brow with a light kiss, relieved to find the temperature normal. He'd slept a total of four hours in the last two days, waiting for her fever to break. One more day of soup and butter bread, and they'd be fine. Thankfully, the grocery store he'd finangled a job at allowed him to bring her. She loved to stay in the break room with her learning tablet and some stuffed animals. The older ladies who were there to supplement their income liked to sneak her candy and someone was always in there to keep an eye on her.

And then it was just convenient. Not only could he shop at the end of his shifts, he got an employee discount. It made every irrational coupon clipper worth it to actually be able to buy the food that was good for her. And he could get litter, which was a bi-weekly expense that was going to end up killing him.

“How's your tummy, _chiquita_?”

“Empty.”

“Empty?” He gasped playfully, kissing her brow again. “Does Uncle Luis not feed you?”

“We had brownies and soup.”

He hoped not at the same time since that sounded extra gross. “What kind of soup?”

“Butters-nut squish. It was yellow and there was cimmonim. It was good, papi!”

She was painfully cute. Lance laughed, kissing both cheeks before he straightened. “I'm glad, baby. Only the best foods for you.”

“Uncle Luis said no milk. Not even strawberry. But there was juice. It was ’nana and pineapples.”

He was going to have to seriously talk to Luis about the weird combinations he gave his child. “Okay. I'm glad you liked it.” Lance closed the door and walked around to his side, getting behind the wheel. He turned music on, Sirena bouncing in her car seat as the Spanish pop filled the car. It wasn't exactly sleep music, but since she started to sing along in babbled, not-quite-Spanish, he left it. His phone was grabbed so he could film her for a few seconds, quick to send the video Pidge and Hunk's way.

Lance put his phone away and backed out of the drive, listening to his baby try to sing in Spanish. She could barely manage it in English, so his grin broke through his exhaustion and kept him from falling asleep at the wheel even when Sirena’s singing started to slur and she nodded off behind him. He loved his girl, and he wouldn't trade her for anything. Not even a full night's sleep.

\----


	2. Chapter 02

It took Keith another week to finally work up the courage to corner Lance, and another couple of days to make the time to do so. He didn't have to work after school - one of the rare days he was off from both jobs - and Lance had actually been present for every lecture without having to bolt out for one reason or another. The TA was also looking much better. Whatever had been happening recently seemed to be resolved, and Lance certainly looked like he was back to his normal self. Hair done, the dark circles beneath his eyes not quite as dark.

Keith didn't know if he was relieved about this fact or not. A tired Lance had been easy to make small talk with, even if it was just a “thank you” when he received a paper back or a simple “Hi, Lance” when Keith got to class every day. He could tell Lance was still absolutely confused about his change in behavior, but the other man seemed to come to terms with it. Whether or not they'd be able to hold an actual conversation without it blowing up in their faces would just have to be seen.

Hopefully it wouldn't, but Keith didn't have time to really worry about that anymore as Coran dismissed them from class for the day. He slung his backpack over a shoulder, steeling himself and walking right up to Lance's desk before he could change his mind. “Hey,” Keith greeted, shuffling his feet.

“Uh. Hi?” Lance leaned back in his seat, staring at him. He looked actually nervous. “What's up, mullet?”

“Nothing, I just…” Shit, Keith was so stupid. He didn't even know what he wanted to talk about. This was a bad idea and he was an idiot. “I just wanted to say ‘hey.’”

Lance felt his lips curve almost against his will. What a dork. “You're awkward when you're not pissed off.”

“Shut up,” he mumbled, shifting his bag higher. “I'm not great at conversation.”

“I can tell.” Lance grinned, bright and easy. “It's cute that you're trying. Weird and awkward, but cute.”

Keith could feel his cheeks heating up, but really, how could they not when faced with a smile that gorgeous? He shook his head, his stupid bangs falling into his eyes for the hundredth time that day. “Why is it so weird?”

All the reasons seemed shallow or glaringly obvious, so he shrugged. “It just is. I don't think it's a bad kind of weird, though. So did you have a topic in mind for this conversation or do you want me to keep commenting on your awkwardness?”

“Uh, no, to both.” He shuffled around some more to give himself some time to think of something, but nothing came to mind. Sighing, Keith shook his head again. “Nothing specific, anyway. Just… I guess I wanted to let you know that you look better than you did last week and ask how you were?”

That was... actually sweet. How dare this asshole turn sweet? “I'm good. I had a hiccup last week that's been scared away.”

“That's good.” God, he really was awkward. “I'm… I'm glad you're feeling better.”

“Thanks. I'm not a big fan of hiccups. I like my routine.” He especially liked having a healthy baby. “So how are you doing? You usually rush out.”

Keith shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. “I'm… okay. Tired and I have a bunch of homework, but I'm off work tonight so I can study.” And work on the paper that was due for Coran’s own class and start in on another project for a different class.

“Yeah. Study time is impossible to get sometimes.” He normally had a couple of hours after bedtime, but that was only if Sirena stayed in bed. “Where do you work?”

“Uh, I put in some hours at the city library a couple days a week and I work second shift at the gas station on the edge of campus, usually on the days I'm not at the library.”

Lance's brows lifted, surprise shifting over his features. “You've got two jobs too?”

Keith couldn't stop his own surprise from flitting over his face at the word _too_. “Yeah, I do… Is that why you're always so tired?”

“It's part of it. Coran usually keeps me an hour after each class to help him do anything and everything. Then I work at this grocery store about twenty minutes off campus. Ten hour shifts twice a week, five on Sunday.” And, of course, he had his non-paying dad gig. That was beyond full-time.

“Oh, that's really rough.” Keith almost wanted to apologize to him, but they were kind of in the same boat.

“Not compared to the last few years. They're stable jobs for once, and I finally have time to take three classes this semester.” He was almost full-time. If he'd been able to find one more morning class for Tuesday and Thursday, he would've gone for it. “Things have been worse.”

Keith nodded in understanding. Things had been bad for him once, too, but he had no idea yet what Lance had gone through. It made him feel like a piece of shit for acting like he had up to this point. “Well… I'm sure it'll get better, anyway.”

“Eventually.” After he finished college and hopefully got a steady job. Maybe then he could relax. Maybe then he'd have time to take Sirena somewhere besides his job or his family. She'd been asking about the zoo for weeks. Lance dropped his gaze and his pen to his notebook, scribbling his number down. “I need to actually get work done, so here. Text me sometime.”

“Oh, okay.” Keith hadn't been expecting that, but he took the piece of paper that Lance ripped off and stuck it in his pocket. “Y-yeah, I will.”

“ _And_ you stutter?” Laughing, Lance shuffled the stacks of papers Coran had already given him to file. “Cripes, Keith, it's like you got replaced by an adorable doppelganger. You're usually so grizzled.”

“Shut up…” He shoved his hands in his pockets, glancing at the floor, but he couldn't help the tug of a small smile on his lips. This hadn't gone as horrible as he'd been anticipating. “I'll text you.”

“Good.” Lance rose, gathering the stack up. “I'm... I'm sorry I've been kind of an ass.”

“Yeah, I'm sorry, too.” Even though it wasn't Keith who’d started it.

“Nah, I like your temper.” Lance walked around his desk, bumping their hips together on his way to Coran. “It's kinda cute, mullet.”

Keith hadn't been expecting it, so stumbled slightly but quickly righted himself. “Not cute, shut up…”

“Uh-huh. You keep thinking that, buddy. Don't forget to text me.”

“I won't. Or I will.” His nose scrunched up in confusion. “Whatever, I'll text you.”

God, he was adorable. Where had that been hiding? “Okay. Later, Keith.”

“Bye, Lance. I'll see you later.”

Lance grinned back at him, the curve brightening when Keith's blush returned. Completely adorable. Wow. Blaming the jump of his pulse on his extreme lack of sex, Lance turned his attention to Coran and the work he needed to do while Keith walked out.

\---

It was late when his phone finally chimed, Lance happily sharing dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and fries with his favorite person. He was trying to share peas, but those were being steadfastly ignored in the corner of her plate. “If you eat one pea, you can watch part of a movie,” he bargained.

“What movie?”

“One about gross, hairy spiders.”

“Papi, ew!” she squealed, waving her spoon at him.

He chuckled as he rose, stroking her hair as he passed. “If you eat a whole spoon of peas, you can pick the movie.”

“How many is a spoon?”

“You'll have to pick up a spoonful and count, _chiquita_.” Smiling, he glanced at his phone and smiled at the unknown number. Only one person had gotten his own recently, so he opened the text.

“Papi, no phones for dinner,” Sirena scolded.

“I know, _chiquita_.” He looked up, smiling at her little pout. “Papi’s trying to make a new friend. Eat your peas so we can watch a whole movie.”

“Papi, is your new friend nice?”

“Maybe. I'm talking to him to find out.” He looked up, setting his phone aside quickly. “Sirena, don't give Blue your peas!”

He left his phone to rescue the fluffball from vegetables, spending a few minutes cleaning peas off the floor and finding the cat's wipes to clean smushed greens from her fur. He also had to give Sirena a clean spoon since she'd let the cat lick from it. “If you don't eat peas, no movie and early bedtime.”

“But Papi,” she whined.

“No buts. You'll like peas, baby girl. Just eat.”

He waited for her to push a pea away from her spoon and pick up a chicken nugget instead before he went back to his phone and the messages awaiting him.

Plenty, but Lance only smiled. He couldn't tell him. He didn't trust Keith nearly enough.

Unsure how to answer that right away, Lance returned to the table for a few minutes to help Sirena eat her peas. Once the first spoonful was eaten, the last two were easy. The picky girl took after him in too many ways sometimes. “Good job, baby. Go wash your hands like a big girl, and we'll pick a movie.”

“Okay, papi!” She wiggled off her seat and scrambled to the bathroom where her princess-shaped soap bottle and step stool waited.

Holy shit. Lance smiled, shoving his phone into his pocket. He went after Sirena, switching the water off to keep her from giving her hands a bubble bath. “What are you doing?”

“Bubble baths!”

“Bubble baths are for later, _chiquita_.” He was never going to get his paper done. Lance unplugged the sink to let the water drain and nabbed a hand towel to wipe down her hands and arms.

“Are you still talking to your friend, papi? Is he nice yet?”

Laugh soft, he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I think he's starting to be nice.”

“Can I meet him?”

Not anytime soon. “We'll see, _chiquita_.” He plucked her up and twirled her, smiling at her giddy squeals, then carried her out of the bathroom. Their movie collection was small as far as DVDs went, most of the movies he had for her on a flash drive plugged into the back of the TV, but she liked looking at the pictures on the cases. It was late for a movie, so he guided her towards a set of Berenstain Bears episodes and got her settled on the couch. Blue leapt up to curl up in her lap, giving Lance enough time to get his laptop and her a doll to keep her company when the cat inevitably left.

With her settled, he dropped into a chair and retrieved his phone again.

Lance hummed, wondering if Keith was actually angry or just borderline maybe angry. There was only one way to find out.

Oh. Well, hell. That wasn't exactly helpful.

Oh, _fuck_. Lance stared at the message with wide eyes for a minute, fingers hovering over the keyboard as he wondered just what to say to that.

“Papi? It's done. Can we watch one more?”

He looked up, watching the credits roll. He wanted to tell her they could, eager to continue his conversation. The developments were unexpected, but the tingling over his skin said they were very welcome. But if she didn't get a bath, she'd be in bed late and he hadn't written a word on this paper. “No, baby. I think it's time for that bubble bath.”

“Bubble baths!” she squealed, wiggling off the couch to run to her room. She knew the routine.

Lance looked down at his phone.

Lance almost screamed anyway, fumbling with phone and laptop when his daughter called. But how was he supposed to react to this? In a few weeks he'd gone from hating to being confused by to being amused by to getting hit on by Keith. What. The fuck.

Not that he was complaining, but his mind was racing while he approved Sirena’s pajamas of choice and started the water for her. He added the bubbles once the temperature was acceptable to them both, letting her take an extra toy into the tub out of guilt. He hadn't been paying enough attention to her that evening, but the distraction on his phone was very sudden and overwhelming to more than just his libido.

The insistence on making them wait was usually enough to drive that kind of flirting far away. It wasn't usually followed by something as casual as an offer for a coffee date. That told his wary heart that there was potential. That was terrifying. Keith was basically a golden boy at school and Lance was constantly two steps away from being forced out. Plus, they worked two jobs. How were they supposed to have time to date?

How had this shaky acquaintance turned into a potential _relationship_? He didn't even trust him enough to tell him what his serious responsibility was, and he never hid that on dates. Was this just a desperate need for sex? He hoped he wasn't that pathetic, but he wasn't so sure when even Sirena could tell that he wasn't all there.

“Papi, do you want to play? Was your friend un-nice?”

He smiled, gathering bubbles to give her a messy crown. “He was very nice, _chiquita_.” Nicer than expected. “You might get to meet him.”

“Yay!” she cheered, throwing bubbles up. They didn't go far, and Lance's smile warmed. No, he wasn't that pathetic and he'd have to tell Keith about her before they ever made it into the bedroom. He just had to figure out how to tell him.

One step at a time.

\----

When Keith walked into class the next day he was already sporting a light blush. His conversation with Lance the night before had taken quite an unexpected turn, but he found that he didn't regret it in the slightest. It might have been because he hadn't gotten any in a while, but now that he was on actual speaking terms with the TA he wanted to actually spend time with him and get to know him a bit better. Everything that Pidge had said about him made Keith think that he could come to like him, so he was willing to put in the effort.

As he sat down at his desk, he glanced up and caught Lance staring back at him. His blush deepened but he didn't want to look away, too transfixed on the beauty at the front of the room. And he didn't mean Coran, who had just walked in to start class. Fuck.

Lance smiled, the blush only solidifying an earlier decision. He could likely have a sibling take Sirena at least one day over the weekend, fit Keith in after work Saturday, and see where the night went. Maybe. He didn't know Keith's work schedule yet. Biting his lip, Lance scrawled a quick note for him.

_8s late for coffee, but dinner? Saturday. Lmk._

He held onto it until he had to pass out quizzes, leaving Keith for last as usual. But this time he added the note to the mix and let his hand brush over Keith's shoulder before returning to his seat.

Keith swore he could feel electricity zing down his spine, even though their skin hadn't directly touched. Fuck, what was happening to him? He picked up his quiz - another A, awesome - and raised his brow at the little piece of paper that fluttered down to his desk. The note was read over quickly, another blush rising on his cheeks as he mentally checked his schedule. Saturday nights he was usually working at the gas station, but he might be able to get someone to cover his shift and take the earlier or later one. God, he really hoped someone from first shift would be willing to cover him because he did _not_ want to work graveyard.

Pulling his phone out, Keith fired off a few texts to some people he knew worked in the morning, and had to physically stifle a cheer when he got the okay from a girl he barely knew. Smiling, he jotted down a quick response to drop off at Lance's desk when class was over.

_It's a date_

Lance grinned, already knowing the answer when the class was over and Keith wandered his way. He took the note, though, and let his fingers brush over Keith's. He liked dating, missed it. Keith could be interesting. “I can pick you up. Just text me the address when you can.”

The touch tingled across Keith's skin, making the flush travel up to cover the tips of his ears. “Y-yeah, I will.”

“Okay. I picked up an extra shift tonight, but I'll get back to you when I can.”

“Alright, that sounds good.” Keith couldn't stop a small smile from forming. He had a date!

“Cool. I'll see you later, mullet.”

“Oh my god, stop calling me that,” he complained. “It's not a mullet!

“It absolutely is. I like it, though.”

“Hmm…” Keith shook his head exasperatedly, but shifted his bag higher on his shoulder. “Alright, whatever. I'll text you later.”

“Looking forward to it.” Lance grinned, but looked away when his phone buzzed. It wasn't the school, so he let it go. “Have a good day at work, pretty boy.”

“Thanks…” Keith blushed again before popping a headphone in. “Bye, Lance,” he murmured, putting the other bud in and walking out.

\----

It was exciting to find out that Keith didn't live far. Exciting and a little worrying. He definitely lived in the cheapest section of the little college town, and it was a surprise to find that Keith did too. He'd genuinely thought he was doing better than that, but at least that made him feel a little more equal. Lance had never liked power imbalances.

Except in one relationship in his life, wherein he had most of the control. He'd ease Sirena into being able to make more choices, but he had final say for now. “I know you want chocolate, _chiquita_ , but put it back.”

“But, papi, please? It's one!”

One would lead to more. He'd learned that the hard way, and he was too tired after a full shift to deal with it. He swept her up and gave her a gentle squeeze, sneaking the bag of chocolates out of her hands and onto the shelf with a silent apology for the stockers. “If you're extra good, we'll get cookies. Chocolate cookies. You can take them to Aunt Mary's tomorrow.”

“Cookies,” she echoed, and Lance happily kissed her cheek.

“Do you want to ride in the cart now?”

“Mm-mm. Walk!”

“Okay. No grabby hands. Promise?”

She leaned back, showing her hands to him. “Clean hands!”

“Good girl.” Lance set her down and let her roam, his gaze falling to his list as they wandered through the aisles. He knew all the sales and had tailored his list to them as he did every week. Chicken nuggets were going to be on their menu for a second week in a row, but her favorite cereal was already in the cart and he knew how to doctor mac and cheese to her needs so had noodles and a scattering of other ingredients. Apples, bread, and several other items remained, but she'd have good meals. And, damn it, he deserved some cookies for that. “Don't wander, Sirena.”

She stopped at the end of the aisle, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking back on her heels innocently. Her curly pigtails fluttered when she shook her head. “I won't, papi.”

“So you say. The ladies aren't going to give you candy. They're working.”

She sighed gustily, but skipped back to him to hold his pant leg as they made their way through the baking section. “Chocolate chips.”

“Do you want chocolate chip cookies?”

“Yes!”

“So do I. So no grabby hands.”

“Papi!” she whined, giggling at the tail of the word, but she kept a hold of his pant leg. To help satisfy her desire to grab at things, he pointed at the bag of sugar and let her grab it. He had to help her lift it into the cart, but she was very proud of herself for being a good helper. They did most of their shopping that way, a trip that would've taken him twenty minutes usually taking well over an hour. It was normally reserved for Saturday nights, but he had plans for the next night. Exciting, delightful... Oh, _shit_.

He was in the produce section. Standing there amongst fruits and vegetables like he was allowed. No. No, no, no.

“Papi?”

No, no, no, no, no. “I think we forgot something. Oatmeal,” he decided. She liked oatmeal. It wasn't on sale, but they'd splurge.

“‘Kay! Dinosaurs?”

Fuck it. “Yeah, baby, we'll get dinosaur egg oatmeal.” And then they'd leave. He could come back for the rest or get everything the next day after his shift. He'd be late picking Keith up, but he could make that sacrifice. He wasn't ready to share his baby with him yet. She was too precious to him to share with just anyone.

“Hey, Lance.”

 _Shit_. Lance nudged Sirena between him and the cart, managing a small smile. “Hey, man. What's up?”

Keith glanced around the store, a smirk playing on his lips. “Just shopping.”

“Well, I mean, obviously.” Lance let his shoulders relax, shaking his head. “You don't have a basket.”

“I don't need a lot. Just dinner tonight.” Keith looked over Lance's cart pointedly, smiling. “You look like you're shopping for a small army.”

“Always. I usually get enough for a couple of weeks.”

“Makes sense. I try to shop sales, but I never know what I'm gonna want to eat so I usually just shop every other day.” It wasn't the best way to do things, but he was barely ever home for dinner, anyway.

“I have to make menus, or I'd be just as screwed. Working here helps since I always know the sales ahead of time, so I just plan around them.” Lance playfully nudged Sirena with his knee, feeling her getting fidgety. He hadn't told her it was a game, hadn't had time, so he knew she was confused. He was just glad she was small and the cart was full. “I'm almost done. Just need some vegetables.”

“Oatmeal,” Sirena reminded him, and his heart dropped to his toes. _Fuck_.

Keith cocked his head, confused at the small, squeaky voice coming from in between the cart and Lance. “What was that?” he asked, unaware that Lance wasn't alone.

“It's...”

She reached up, tugging on his shirt. “Papi, dinosaur oatmeal.”

“I know. We'll get oatmeal.” Lance looked down, catching her hand. He didn't really have a choice but to let her presence be known now. But if Keith hurt her, he'd kill him. “Sirena, this is Keith. Say hi.”

“Hi!” She popped out from between him and the cart, but she kept her hand in her father's. It was her only sign of shyness, her smile bright as she waved. “Is he your new friend? Papi used his phone and it was dinner.”

Lance flushed, giving her hand a squeeze. “Don't tattle on me, _chiquita_.”

She giggled, hiding against the side of Lance's leg. “Yes.”

Keith missed the rest of the exchange after the little girl who could be Lance's twin said the word “papi,” his brain short-circuiting. He stood frozen, staring at the two of them for a second before a glance up at Lance's increasingly worried face shook him out of his stupor. “Uh, hi,” he greeted, his gaze darting back and forth between them. “Lance, is she…?”

Lance sighed, kissing his date plans goodbye. “She's the responsibility I can't drop. And my small army.”

“Oh.” Well, shit, that explained everything. It also changed everything, but Keith wouldn't let that deter him. It would be a little weird knowing that Lance had a kid, but he knew more people who he'd gone to high school with that ended up as teen parents. And he didn't see why it should stop them from going out the next night, as Lance's face seemed to suggest. “Well, hi again, S-Sirena. Is that right?” he smiled softly at her eager nod. “How old are you?”

“This many!” She held up four fingers proudly, only pursing her lips when Lance pushed her pinky down. “This many?”

“Yeah, baby. Tell him your birthday.”

“Ten ten!” She beamed when Lance gently tugged her pigtail. “I dunno what it means, but ten ten.”

“He does.”

Oh god, she was cute. Keith could barely stand people on a good day, but he actually adored kids - especially those like Sirena. “I do know what it means. It means that your birthday is only thirteen days before mine.”

“Papi,” she whispered, voice far too loud, “is that a lot?”

Lance crouched down, absolutely amazed by the attention Keith was giving her. “Show me ten.” She held out both hands obediently, and Lance held up three of his own. “This is thirteen.”

“Ten with three.”

“Yeah.” He kissed her nose to make her giggle. “ _Mi chica inteligente._ ”

“Smart girl,” she agreed.

He straightened again, taking her hand protectively to keep her close. “Yeah, so she's almost four. She's in preschool.”

“I'm a mermaid!”

Lance couldn't help the laugh, no matter how torn he was about Keith knowing about her. “Her name,” he clarified. “It means mermaid.”

“That's really cool,” Keith replied to humor her. Turning back to Lance, he lifted a brow. “So we're still on for tomorrow night, right?” He had to ask because Lance was looking like all hopes of everything were dashed.

“I-” Lance stared at him. “Seriously? I'm- You're still- You're actually still interested?”

“Well, yeah… Unless you don't want me to be?”

Lance shook his head. “No, I mean- I'm- Guys usually bolt. It's why I don't- No one meets her.”

“Hunk.”

Lance glanced down. “Hunk's known you as long as me, _chiquita_. That's different.”

Her brow furrowed. “How?”

He didn't want to date Hunk. “He's a different kind of friend, Sirena.”

“‘Kay.”

Keith's lips quirked. “I mean, it's nothing I haven't seen before.” Dating someone who already had a kid wasn't something that he'd done before, either, but he wasn't totally against it. Lance - _now_ \- seemed like a nice enough guy and was clearly doing the best to support himself and Sirena, so why not? “It's a little surprising, but I can get over it.”

“Holy shit,” he breathed.

Sirena gasped, shocked to hear the bad word. “Papi!”

He covered her ears, though the damage had been done. “ _Shit_. That- Okay. I- Yeah. Yes. We're totally still on for tomorrow. I just have to take her to my sister's after work.”

“She can come with us.” The suggestion was out of Keith's mouth before he could stop it. He wasn't quite sure why he invited her along to go on their first date, but he supposed that if it went well at all and they continued to date, she would have come into the picture at some point anyway. Plus, Sirena was really cute and she seemed like an overall really good kid based on her current behavior. Lance was obviously doing well as a parent despite his young age, so Keith didn't mind the extra baggage.

She wiggled since Lance had gone oddly still, breaking away from his hands. “Papi?”

He scooped her up, settling her on his hip to keep her incoming pout at bay. “She's- Her bedtime’s eight. I actually- I get off at five on Saturdays, but it's an hour to my sister's. If we could do something earlier, maybe.”

Keith shrugged. “I switched my shift, so I'm off at four-thirty. We can do something earlier.”

Was this actually real? No one had ever once wanted her along. Not even her own mother. “Are you really serious? You won't get p- mad if I bring her?”

“Where, papi?”

“Out, baby. Somewhere for dinner with me and Keith.”

She lit up, bouncing in his hold and tugging on his shirt. “I wanna go!”

Keith couldn't help but smile at her antics, turning it on Lance. “Yeah, I'm really serious, Lance. Bring her with us, I don't mind.”

“Please, papi, please?”

Lance kissed the top of her head, giving himself a moment to collect himself. He really hadn't been ready for Keith. “Okay. You can come.”

“Yay!”

“Tell Keith thank you.”

She waved at him, beaming. “Thank you, Keef!”

“You're welcome,” he replied, her inability to say his name correctly warming something inside him. “So I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Just text me before you head over.”

“Yeah. I- Sure. It'll probably be around six. I know she won't be able to stay still.” Lance shifted her, smile slow but just as bright as Sirena’s. “Thanks, Keith.”

“You don't have to thank me, Lance. She- She's a big part of your life and… I mean, yeah, it's weird, but I don't want to not give this a shot.” Keith shrugged again. “We'll just have to see where it goes.”

Lance stepped closer to him, kissing his cheek even though it made Sirena gasp and giggle. “That already makes you better than basically everyone else. We've got a little more shopping to do, so...”

“Y-yeah…” he murmured, the kiss surprising him and making him blush. “I, uh, still have to find dinner. I'll- I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Say bye, baby.”

“Bye, Keef! We get oatmeal!”

“Vegetables first. We're all the way over here.” He smiled at her dramatic groan, setting her down so he could grab their cart and push it towards the strawberries she made a beeline for.

Keith chuckled despite his still pink cheeks, plucking an apple off of the pile next to him. “Well, have fun. Bye, Lance.”

“Later, pretty boy.” Hardly able to contain himself, Lance grinned over his shoulder and just barely grabbed Sirena’s hand before she could grab a carton of strawberries. “No grabby hands, remember?”

“Clean hands, papi!”

Shaking his head, Keith smiled to himself as he walked away, wandering to the frozen foods section in search of something else to eat. Their date tomorrow would definitely be an interesting one, and Keith was actually excited to see where it could go. He didn't quite know how it would work dating someone who already had a child, but he was at least willing to give them a chance. It was the only way he'd find out.

\---

His dinner plans had been simple. They all had to be. It was an expense he really couldn't afford, and dates didn't have to be fancy to be good. It was about the people, not the place. Bringing Sirena made it a little more complicated. They had to serve something she could and would eat, but a decent family restaurant was difficult to find in a college-driven town and he was _broke_.

After separating his paycheck into bills, college fund, and groceries, he had fifty bucks to last two weeks. A night out for three was going to sap him of all of it. Maybe if he just got the cheapest thing on the menu and they avoided appetizers, he could still afford a little something extra for Sirena here and there. A little toy from the dollar store or something. They were already halfway through September and he didn't even have her birthday presents. What the hell was he thinking? Why had he let Keith sweep him right off his feet? In the blink of an eye, he'd gone from rival to sweetheart. Never mind that it had taken weeks for them to have a conversation.

But there was really nothing he could do now. Cancelling would be a dick move and would probably hurt Keith and the bouncing bubble of excitement he had in the backseat. “Papi, is Keef coming? Where's Keef?” In her favorite blue dress, clinging to her little purple lion, she did her best to strain against the harness strapping her in to see out the window.

“He's probably still inside, _chiquita_.” Lance hadn't worked up the nerve to text him yet, but couldn't hold out if she was being impatient so tugged out his phone.

Keith shoved his phone in the back pocket of his jeans. He'd picked the black skinny ones out of his closet, the only pair he had that weren't worn and faded and that had been specifically designated as his “date pants.” Shiro had made him invest, to which Keith told his cousin to butt out of his personal life. But he'd taken the advice to heart and got a nicer shirt, too, which he'd also thrown on with his favorite crop jacket over top of it.

After slipping on his old black converse, he finally grabbed up his keys and left his apartment, all but running down the stairs to meet Lance in the parking lot. The blue hatchback was easy enough to find, and he climbed into the passenger seat with a smile. “Hey.”

Lance skimmed him with a smile. “Not bad, pretty boy.”

“Hi, Keef!”

He blushed, but that didn't stop him from turning around in the seat to greet the little girl. “Hi, Sirena. How are you?”

“Hungry. Do you like my dress?” She tugged on the blue frills, beaming.

“It's very pretty,” he replied earnestly. “Do you like the color blue?”

“Yes! S’papi’s favorite. Mine's purple. I have a lion!” She held it up for him to see, smile as cheerful as can be. Lance had made sure to keep her completely on schedule that day to accommodate for the difference in their afternoon. “Do you have a favorite?”

It had been a long time since Keith had been around children as young as Sirena, so keeping up with her and her three-year-old brain was going to be a challenge, but he smiled good-naturedly and nodded. “Yeah, mine’s red.”

“Red’s a nice color. I like red.” Stefani smiled behind her lion. “It's your jacket. Oh! And red plus blue are purple!”

“That's right, _chiquita_. Good job.” Lance pulled out of the parking spot, glancing at Keith. “She's learning colors this week.”

Keith turned back around, buckling his seat belt before Lance could get too far out of the parking lot. “Sounds like she's doing really good so far.”

Lance grinned, bright with pride. “She's smart.”

“I like colors. Papi, music?”

He reached for the radio automatically, but paused. “You don't mind some, do you?”

“No, go for it.”

Smiling, he switched it on low. The pop music played cheerily, Sirena rocking to the beat as she turned her attention to the world outside the window. “She likes to sing, so there's your warning for that.”

“That's okay,” came Keith's honest reply. “She's really cute. That kinda makes up for it.”

Lance grinned. “She is really cute. You're not bad either.”

“Shut up…” Keith blushed again, turning away briefly to look out the window. “But… neither are you.”

Smirking, Lance briefly let go of the wheel to poke him. “I know.”

“Oh my god,” he complained half-heartedly. “Are you always this full of yourself?”

“If you looked as good as me, you would be too.”

“Oh my god,” Keith repeated, but he had a small smile on his face. “I hope Sirena doesn't end up as big-headed as you,” he teased.

“Are you saying you don't want my baby to be a strong, independent woman?” Lance glanced at him, amused. “I'm shocked.”

“That's not what I'm saying.”

“That's what I heard.” Lance could drive one-handed easily enough, so slid his hand from the wheel to lay it on Keith's thigh. “And before you huff, I'm teasing you.”

“Huff, huff, huff,” Sirena chirped.

Keith's gaze snapped to the hand on his leg, his cheeks heating up. “I- I know you are.” After a moment of debating with himself, he covered Lance's hand with one of his own.

Cheeks coloring, Lance left his hand where it was. “So we're just going to this small place I know Sirena likes. She's starting to be a picky eater.”

“No!”

“Ignore her; she's crazy.”

“ _Loco_!”

Lance bit his lip, giving Keith's thigh a light squeeze. “My family and I've been working on teaching her Spanish while she's still young. It's easier to learn that way.”

“Yeah, true. I took a couple classes in high school, but I don't remember _all_ of it.” Keith shrugged, wrapping his fingers around Lance's hand to lift it off his thigh and hold it instead. “I know a little Korean and Japanese, too.”

“Ai!” Sirena squeaked. “Abuela!”

Lance's lips twitched. “My mom's half-Japanese, so her middle name's Ai. Indigo-blue.”

“That's really sweet.” Keith smiled, squeezing his hand lightly. “And that's a really nice name.”

“Cuban, Japanese, and Irish - that's my family. We're big, unique, and loud.” Lance wanted to lace their fingers, but held off. “I can't imagine doing all this without them, honestly.”

Keith nodded, staring down at their hands. “They've really helped you out with Sirena, haven't they?”

“Yeah. I wouldn't have even gotten custody of her without them. They-” That was too heavy, way too much for a first date. Or ever. He didn't like to think about that struggle. “And, uh, they all live pretty close. They'll take her when I need to work an extra shift and stuff.”

“Like you were gonna have your sister take her off your hands tonight?” Keith teased lightly, trying to cut through a bit of the tension that had seemed to build up.

“Mary, yeah. She's the closest, but she also has a one-year-old. I don't like to add to that too often.”

“Right, I wouldn't want to either. It's nice that she'd watch her for you, though.” Keith glanced behind him, smiling at Sirena dancing in her car seat. “She's been really good so far. You don't always have to dump her off on your family.”

Lance just hoped she continued to be good. She could be a terror, but she was happy and bouncing for now. He knew what to look for, though, and knew this date couldn't last far beyond her bedtime. As long as they were out by 8:30, she could sleep in the car and be just fine. “Hopefully you feel that way on one of her brat days.”

“I'm sure she's not that bad,” Keith assured him. “You'll just have to bring her with us more often so I can make that call.”

He sounded so sure there would be more dates. “Or maybe you can have dinner with us sometime. Watch her in her natural environment.”

“I could definitely do that.” Keith looked back over at Lance, watching the sun illuminate his perfect skin as it caught between the shadows of trees. “I'd like that.”

With a quick look, Lance sent him a bright smile. “So would I.”

“Next time then,” Keith decided. “I can bring dessert.”

“Dessert!” Sirena echoed. “Can we get dessert? I like dessert, papi!”

Lance chuckled. “I know you do, _chiquita_. We'll have to see how well you behave.”

“The best!”

Keith glanced back at Lance with an apologetic smile. “I shouldn't have said anything, huh?”

“It's fine, but you're buying dessert.”

“I think I can manage that.” It was supposed to be more of a joke than actual fact, but Keith would have to mentally prepare himself for the splurge later. But he knew Lance wasn't in the greatest financial situation either, so he at least wanted to do something nice since he was taking him out on a date _with_ his kid.

Lance laughed, shaking his head. “I'm kidding, you dumb. She has c-o-o-k-i-e-s at home.”

“Oh. Well, still. If you want to save those for another night, I can get it tonight.”

Smile softening, Lance squeezed his hand. “Maybe we can stop for something after? Froyo or something. Trust me, the last thing she needs right before bed is a ton of sugar.”

“Okay. Maybe we should just wait and see how she feels after dinner.”

“I'm hoping for sleepy and agreeable.” It was surprisingly easy to talk to Keith, though the topic was a safe one. Given the chance, he'd spend hours talking about his daughter. It was definitely the most unique date he'd ever been on, unable to flirt and tease the way he normally would. Everything needed to be G-rated with her, but it also gave him a chance to really get to know Keith. Maybe have more than a quick fling. That was so new and weirdly exciting. “It'd probably be easier to get in that goodnight kiss if she was.”

Keith stared at Lance, his face steadily flushing. “Y-yeah, true.”

“What, you don't kiss at the end of a good date? That's, like, the main way to tell if you're just friends or more.” Lance had to let go of his hand to pull into the parking lot, quickly finding a spot to pull into.

“I never said that I don't,” Keith argued lightly as he climbed out of the car. He leaned his arms against the roof, watching Lance get out and opening the back door to get Sirena out. “We'll find out later if we're gonna be more than friends.”

“What's more than friends?”

Lance picked her and her little lion up, settling her on his hip. “Best friends.” He kissed her temple, smiling. He wasn't even close to being ready to explain anything more than that. “Do you want colors?”

“Yes!”

“Okay.” He leaned down, smiling when the dip made her squeal with laughter, and plucked up a box of crayons and a coloring book to keep her hands busy. “Where do colors belong?”

“On the table, papi. No floor.” She took the box, holding her lion's paws together around it to pretend it was carrying the prize.

“Good. And what's our volume?”

She took the coloring book with a bright smile. “Sleepy music.”

“That's my good girl.” Lance hiked her a little higher, kissing her temple, and sent a smile Keith's way. “Come on, pretty boy. I haven't eaten since breakfast.”

“Me neither.” He actually hadn't eaten since the night before, but he didn't want Lance to know that. “Do you want me to carry anything?”

“No, she doesn't need as much as she used to. We're good.” He was used to handling her and all of her baggage alone anyway. “You can hold my hand if you want.”

“Definitely,” Keith agreed with a smile, taking Lance's free hand in his. He hesitated a second before he laced their fingers together. “This okay?”

“Yeah. That- It's good.”

Sirena tugged on Lance's jacket, looking down at their joined hands with interest. She'd never seen him hold hands with someone besides her. But when she looked back up to question it, she was quickly derailed by an exciting discovery. “Papi, Keef has purpley eyes!”

“Oh, yeah?” Lance gave his hand a squeeze, smiling. “They're pretty, aren't they?”

“Yes!”

The compliment made Keith’s face turn an even deeper shade of red, but he glanced up at Sirena anyway. “Th-thanks. You have very pretty eyes, too.”

“Abuela says I got papi’s eyes and abuelo says I got papi’s missed-cheef.”

Lance smiled. “They're not wrong.”

Keith chuckled, glancing at Lance. “I can't wait to see what kind of… missed-cheef you can get up to, then.”

“Name the time, and I’ll see what I can do.” Lance smirked, kissing Keith’s cheek when he held the door open. “I need a table for three," he said to the hostess who greeted them. "A high chair if one’s free.”

They were escorted to a free table, menus set down and Sirena bundled into a high chair so she could see them. She’d be too big for one soon, Lance already seeking sales on booster seats, but she was fine for now. She was also very happy situated between them, setting her lion very delicately on the table with a pat to the head and flopping her coloring book down next to it. “Keef! Do you like aminals?”

“I _do_ like animals. I actually really like lions like the one you have.” He reached out to lightly pat its head since she had placed it down so particularly. “Are they your favorite?”

“Yes! Like Simba!”

“I've got a video of her holding Blue up and singing the Lion King song. She walked all around the apartment.” Lance smiled, relieved that Keith was willing to indulge her. “Eventually, I'll take her to the z-double-o but, y’know, that requires a day off.”

“The z-double…? Oh!” Keith nodded, his lips quirking. “Yeah. If you want, I could go with you when you can.”

It would be quite the outing. The set of rules was very different at a place like that and the excitement levels would be high. It'd take more than one date for Lance to be completely comfortable with that. But he smiled, falling back on the two words that saved him most often as a parent. “We'll see.”

Sirena dumped her crayons on the table, lips pursed as she sorted through them. She found the red and offered it with a bright smile. “Keef!”

He took the crayon from her, returning her grin. “My favorite color!” he mock-exclaimed in excitement. “Thanks, Sirena.”

She giggled, squirming in her seat. “You can color til food comes. Then clean table.”

“Those are the rules, huh?” Keith chuckled, glancing up at Lance with a small smile.

He arched a brow. “Don't laugh at rules, pretty boy. They're very important.”

“I know, I know. I'm not laughing at the rules.” Keith dropped his gaze back down to the table where Sirena was now picking out which crayons she wanted to color with. “She's just so cute.”

“ _Soy lindo_.”

“ _Linda, chiquita. Eres linda._ ”

She pursed her lips. “ _Soy linda._ ”

“There you go, baby. Good job.”

Smiling, she plucked up and held out the blue crayon. “Here, papi!”

“Thanks, baby.” Lance took one of the baby napkins and used the crayon to draw a heart before passing it and the napkin back.

Sirena cooed over it, holding it up to show Keith too. “Look, Keef!”

He nodded, his smile spreading. “I see it. Can I?” he asked, reaching out for it.

“Um...”

When she looked over, Lance nodded. They'd give him a shot. “Go ahead, Sirena,” he encouraged, and she passed over the napkin.

“Thanks.” Keith flexed his fingers before taking the crayon and pressing it to the napkin. It had been a while since he'd practiced his calligraphy, but he'd give it a go. “How do you spell your name?”

“S... Um...” She pursed her lips again, brow furrowing. “Papi?”

“I,” he supplied, as curious as she was over what Keith was planning. “What makes the ‘urr’ sound?”

“R?”

“Mmhm. So we've got ‘sir.’ We just need ‘ena.’”

“E!” She perked up, smile returning. “Nn, uh. N... A?” she guessed, bouncing when Lance nodded, his smile full of pride. “Yeah! A. There's a A.”

Keith chuckled, turning his attention back to the napkin. He carefully dragged the crayon along the paper, leaving behind it Sirena’s name in an elegant script. Underneath it he added another little heart before handing it back over. “Here you go.”

“Ooh.” She only saw pretty swirls and a heart, but loved it. “Papi, it's curlies!”

“It's your name, baby.” Lance took her hand, guiding her finger over the swirling letters and sounded out each letter for her. While she cooed over it with new understanding, Lance met Keith's gaze across the table. It was stunning and wonderful, Keith just one surprise after another. He didn't have time for a relationship, but he felt the hope for one stirring. His smile warmed. “It's beautiful.”

“I'm a little rusty,” Keith admitted, cheeks going pink. “But I'll make a bigger one for her soon, if- if that's alright.”

“That'd be really great, Keith.” Lance held his hand out in silent invitation. “She'd obviously love it.”

“Heh, yeah.” Keith placed his hand in Lance's, smiling softly. “I'll make her something nice.”

“Papi, I like Keef.”

He laughed, thumb rubbing over Keith's knuckles. “So do I, _chiquita_.”

“I like you, too, Sirena.” Keith laced their fingers together again, squeezing slightly. “And I like you, Lance.”

“Good.” Lance's smile went a little wicked. “You're still getting your papers last.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “You're an a- a _butt_ ,” he corrected quickly.

Sirena giggled at the word, but was happy to color until the waitress appeared to take their drink orders. Lance was quick to shoot down her desire for strawberry milk, shaking his head. “They don't have your milk like at home. How about juice, baby?”

It had been such a good day that the minor slight seemed huge to her. She pursed her lips, fingers curling tightly on her crayon. Lance covered the little hand quickly, rubbing the back to soothe. “We can't have milk without cookies, right? And they don't have cookies here.”

“Home cookies.” Her smile blossomed again. “Chocolate chip home cookies. And strawberry milk. Keef can share.”

“Sure. So how's apple juice sound? Apple is always better with chicken tenders.”

“‘Kay, papi. Appo juice!”

Sending an apologetic smile to the waitress, he tossed out a simple order of water with lemon. He hadn't even picked up his menu yet, so food was a mystery still.

Keith ordered the same, keeping it just as simple and cheap. Their waitress promised to return soon before walking away, and he finally turned to look at the menu for the first time. “What are you thinking about getting?”

“No clue.” Lance opened his to the kids menu to make sure they had chicken tenders, frowning over the sides. “They have applesauce, _chiquita_.”

“Appo-sauce! Mac’n’cheese?”

“No,” he lied, leaning over to kiss her cheek when she pouted. “They have french fries, though.”

“‘Kay. I like fries.”

“Okay. So applesauce and fries with chicken tenders?”

“Yeah!”

“Okay. Now get back to coloring, baby. I like your hippo.”

“He's a rainbow.” She smiled, giving it messy purple eyes. The body was blue and green, the head orange, and the tail was gray. There were scribbles of color outside the lines, but she'd been getting better about that. She liked seeing the lines.

“He's a great rainbow.” Lance gave her hair a fond tug before flipping the menu to the adult section, skimming the prices more than the food.

Unknowingly, Keith was doing the same thing, also used to living on a tiny budget. Sirena must have made it way harder, and Keith had to admire Lance for being able to pull it off by himself. “I think I might go for tenders, too.”

Lance laughed, nudging his shin beneath the table. “How am I supposed to spoil you if you go with tenders?”

“Hey, tenders are good,” Keith argued. “Plus, we're both broke college students. This is probably the fanciest place I've been to in three years.”

“Now that's sad. You need better dates, pretty boy.”

“This is the first one I've been on in…” He trailed off, trying to count, but ultimately came up with nothing. “Well, it's been a long time.”

Maybe if he'd made different choices in high school, he wouldn't be struggling so much in college. He could've spoiled Keith a little more. “But you still let me bring her?”

“Yeah, why not? I'm still with _you_.” Keith shrugged, twirling the crayon idly between his fingers. “And she's a part of you. You shouldn't have to feel like she's a burden or anything, even on a date.”

Lance's heart seemed to swell and melt all at once. “She's never been a burden to me. I just don't want her to be one to anyone else.”

Keith gave Lance's hand a squeeze, nodding. “I get that. And I want you to know that she isn't. She hasn't been one so far, and I doubt she would be even on one of her brat days.”

He sounded so genuine, Lance found it hard not to believe him. He'd been good with her so far, too. “Okay. So where'd you learn calligraphy?”

“I, uh, I taught myself.” Shrugging again, Keith set the crayon back down on the table in front of him. “I needed a hobby and, at the time, I was only able to communicate with Shiro through written letters. So I kinda just picked it up, found some books at the library and practiced.”

“You couldn't just call him?”

“I didn't have a phone…”

“Well no kid just, like, had a phone. I always had to call my friends and family on the landline at home.”

“Um…” Keith desperately wanted to take his hand back, to change the conversation to anything else. His childhood wasn't something he really wanted to talk about on a first date. Not with a child actually present. “Uh, yeah, I… I didn't have one.”

“Okay.” Maybe his parents had been poor or just thought letters were better? Old-fashioned maybe. Not liking how tense Keith's hand had gotten, Lance took it in both of his to gently caress. “It's still a cool skill.”

“Yeah.” Relieved that Lance seemed to think he meant something else, Keith sighed. “Yeah, I guess it is. Not very useful or anything, but yeah. I like it.”

“Arts are always useful, especially the rare ones. No one else could've written her name like that. Don't knock what's special, mullet.” Lance let him go when the waitress returned, tossing out Sirena’s order and his own for a half-sandwich and some soup.

Keith ordered his tenders with a side of fries and honey mustard, actually excited for the simple meal. It really had been too long since he'd had food out, and it was just a little depressing. When she walked away again, Keith turned back to watch Sirena coloring on a new page, her favorite purple crayon in her hand. “What are you working on now?”

“A graph.” She pointed to the giraffe, its fur a scribbled green and the spots turning purple. “They got long necks like Lil’ Foot.”

“Who's Lil’ Foot?” he asked, glancing at Lance for clarification.

“Little Foot? From that old movie, _Land Before Time_.” Lance shrugged. “I've become well-versed in cartoons.”

“Yep, yep, yep!”

“Oh. I've never seen it.”

“I'll watch it wif you, Keef.”

Lance smiled. “I'm sure he'd like that, _chiquita_.”

“I would really like that, Sirena,” Keith confirmed. “You'll have to tell me who everyone is.”

“‘Kay! There's Lil' Foot and Ducky, and Sara, and... Papi, what's the other one?”

“Spike.”

“Yeah! He's Ducky’s brother and they fight bad guys and go to the good valley!”

“Great Valley. It came out when we were kids, actually, so I saw it in theatres when I was... three? But whatever. They're movies I have access to.”

“Right, that makes sense. I haven't really had access to a lot of movies.”

“Don't worry. If you plan to spend time with us, we'll fix that.” Lance smiled. “I've got a handful of physical copies, but a million digital ones. We're not home often and she travels with me to the grocery store and waits in the break room, so she's usually got her learner tablet and my laptop with a movie.”

“Candy.” She giggled when Lance looked over, a brow arched. Her attempt to mimic the look led to wide eyes and lifted brows, her dad laughing.

Keith chuckled, charmed by her. “That sounds great, Lance.”

“Yeah. She likes it because some of the older ladies who work there sneak her candy.” Lance looked back to Keith, shrug slight. “I wish I had other options, honestly, but it's what we have to do for now.”

“Yeah. That stinks, but…” Keith trailed off, watching Sirena continue to color her giraffe with a small smile on his face. “From what I've seen so far, you're doing a great job with her given what you have.”

“I didn't fight so hard for her to make her live miserably.” Lance watched Keith quietly. It was stunning, really. Sitting behind him two years before doing everything possible to get his attention and failing miserably, he never would've imagined that he'd be across from him on a dinner date. He never would've imagined Keith could look at his little girl with such simple affection. “I'm glad you can be sweet.”

“I- I don't try to be mean, Lance.” He'd just had a difficult time growing up and it resulted in a bad temper. Keith would be the first person to admit that. But there was no way Lance could have known that. “Plus, it's easy to be sweet to you and Sirena.”

“Like candy!” Sirena chirped, clueless about what they were talking about.

Lance chuckled, impulsively lifting Keith's hand to his lips. “Some sweetness is better than candy, _chiquita_.”

Keith blushed, staring at his hand. “Y-yeah, it is. Holy crap, Lance.”

Lance's smile was all flirtation. “You didn't think I was going to let her get in the way of some romance, did you?”

“Well, no, but- I've never been on a date with anyone like you.” It was refreshing, as unused to the attention as he was.

“No way. Single dads are clearly a dime a dozen.” Lance squeezed his hand. “I like your blush. It's cute.”

“ _¡Es lindo!_ ”

“ _Muy lindo_ ,” Lance murmured.

The color deepened, Keith dropping his gaze. “Shut up, it's not.”

Lance kissed his hand again, lips lingering over his knuckles. “You're not the one who gets to look at you, pretty boy.”

“Oh my god.” Keith squeezed his hand lightly. Never had he been flirted with quite like this before, and the way he was reacting like a teenage girl on her first date ever was kind of embarrassing. “You're crazy…”

“Mm. I just know what I like.”

“And what _do_ you like?”

“Gorgeous guys named Keith with hot tempers who are nice to my daughter. I like his pretty blush, awful hair, and stunning eyes.” Lance gave his hand a squeeze. “And I like that I'll get to know him better.”

“Now I know you're crazy,” Keith murmured, but he was smiling. “But I like that I'll get to know you better, too, Lance. You and Sirena.”

“Me?”

“Of course you, baby.” Lance shifted, smile softening as he looked at the curious, clueless girl. It wasn't hard to bring her on a date. With her immersed in coloring, he was still free to flirt and grateful that Keith didn't seem to feel awkward doing it with her at the table. “Keith wants to spend more time with you.”

“‘Kay. I like Keef.”

“I like you, too, 귀여운 [gwiyeoun],” Keith replied, turning his smile to her.

She pursed her lips. “I dunno what that is.”

“It means ‘sweetie.’ Because you are a sweetie.”

She gasped, picking up her lion to shyly hide behind it. “ _Dulce_ ,” she mumbled into its mane. “You're _dulce,_ Keef.”

He laughed, reaching over to ruffle her hair. “And you're amazing.”

“Papi!” she squeaked. “Did you hear? I'm ‘mazing.”

“You sure are, my baby.” Lance grinned. It was easily the best date he'd been on in... ever. It was wonderful. His baby was happy, and Lance didn't constantly feel stressed or a thousand years older than the person he was dining with. Sharing Sirena with him gave him a new way to connect, and it was phenomenal.

Keith's smile grew, tugging lightly on one of her braids like he'd seen Lance do earlier. “I'm really excited to spend more time with you guys.”

“You'll have to give me your schedule so we can figure out how you can.” Another thing to juggle, but he could probably manage it.

“Yeah, I will. Definitely.” It would be tough with them both working two jobs and being in school, but if they were serious about being in a relationship for real, Keith was willing to put in the time and effort to make it work. “We'll figure it out.”

“Papi, help.”

Lance looked over, smiling at the rainbow colored hippo Sirena pointed at. “Help with what, baby?”

“Out. I want it.”

Lance took the coloring book to start gently tearing the page out for her. “Clean table, _chiquita_. I see our food.”

“‘Kay, papi.” She started to carefully pick up her crayons, tucking them away one at a time. Their food was nowhere in sight, but Lance knew her cleaning habits and had gauged the time.

“Here's your red one back,” Keith supplied. “Where do you want it?”

“Next to blue ‘cause they're friends like you and papi.” Sirena smiled, taking it from him. Blue, purple, and red were set next to one another while she dealt with all the rest first. The trio went in last and together with some firm taps. “Clean table!”

“Good girl.” Lance traded the box for the colored hippo, setting it on the empty seat next to him with the coloring book. He could see their food now, so right on time. Sirena gathered up her lion and the picture when her food was set down, gasping at the basket of tenders and fries and the little bowl of applesauce. “Remember,” Lance warned, recognizing the way she shifted the toy, “lions can't eat applesauce. It makes them sick.”

“Even magical ones?”

“Especially magical ones.”

She pursed her lips, but reached for a tender and tore off a corner to feed her lion instead. He and the morsel were set by her basket, and Lance quickly pulled it away to cut the pieces smaller. Sirena just turned her attention to Keith, reaching out to tug on his jacket. “Here, Keef! Here! I colored the pippo for you.”

“Oh, wow, okay.” Genuinely surprised by the gesture, he took the coloring page from her, holding it under the light to see it better. “It's pretty. You did a good job, thank you.”

“It's got purpley eyes like you, okay?”

Keith chuckled, ruffling her braids again. “Okay, 귀여운. I love it.”

“Yay! Papi, he loves it!”

“I heard. You'll have to sign it for him later.” Lance returned her basket, tenders cut into bite sized pieces.

“‘Kay! Are you gonna put it on the fridg-der-ater? Papi does.”

Keith smiled, setting it off to the side of the table so it wouldn't get food splatters on it. “I definitely will.”

Lance appreciated him humoring her, smiling as he tucked a napkin into Sirena’s dress like a bib. Under the table, he trapped Keith's leg between each of his just to keep in contact with him. “Eat your applesauce, baby.”

“‘Kay.” She picked up the little spoon she'd been given, happy to eat her dinner.

Surprised by the leg-lock Lance suddenly had him in, Keith couldn't help but blush again. He got over it quickly, though, and even brought his other foot over to bracket Lance's leg between his. “I'm really glad I'm here with you, Lance. And I'm glad Sirena is here, too.”

Lance smiled. He'd never had a better date. “So am I.”

\----


	3. Chapter 03

Dinner went smoothly, though Lance wished they could have a little bit more time together. Dates were going to be hard to come by, and they both knew it. So even though they were pushing bedtime, Sirena was still in high spirits as they walked out of the restaurant, and Lance gave extending this first one a shot.

“So do you like frozen yogurt? I know most people prefer ice cream, but...”

“No, I love frozen yogurt. I actually prefer it,” Keith replied, squeezing Lance's hand. “Plus, toppings.”

“Always toppings.” Lance smiled. “I've got a coupon if you're still up for buying dessert.”

“Dessert!”

“Definitely. Besides, how could I say ‘no’ to her?”

“You're not allowed to. Like, ever.” Lance stuck his tongue out, playfully bumping their hips together.

Keith glared at him, though there was no heat in it. “Then I won't. I'll spoil the crap out of her and you'll have to deal with it.”

“Hm. Okay. I'll train you on the correct way and times to say no. Redirection is usually the key to success.”

“Papi, lion wants dessert.”

“Does he?” Lance hiked her higher on his hip, the bounce making her laugh. “Then we'll have to share some dessert with him.”

“Does he like frozen yogurt?”

Lance quickly elbowed him. He was _not_ cleaning frozen yogurt off his girl’s bedtime toy right before bedtime. “Lions don't like things that get stuck in their mane, Keith.”

“Well, no, obviously.” Keith glanced at him with an apologetic smile, shrugging. “They eat meat anyway, right?”

“And candy. Lion's magic,” Sirena informed him proudly, rubbing her cheek against the faded toy.

“Oh? Well, then what kind of candy is his favorite?”

Sirena pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Gummies.”

“Just any kind of gummies?” Keith asked. “Or… gummy bears? Gummy worms?”

“Gummy bears! He likes gummy bears!”

Lance smiled. “I thought gummy bears were your favorite, baby.”

“We share.”

“That's great! I like gummy bears, too.”

At the car, Lance unlocked it one-handed and got Sirena into her carseat. “They're a very versatile candy.” Lance kissed her nose to make her giggle. “Are you ready for some dessert, _chiquita_?”

“Yes, papi! Dessert!”

“Dessert and then bed for me,” Keith announced as he climbed into the front seat. Once he had his seat belt clipped, he turned around to smile at Sirena. “You must be getting pretty tired, too, huh?”

She shook her head. “No!”

Lance made sure she was secure before closing the back and joining Keith in front. “You'll know when she's tired.” It was too tired that he was hoping to avoid. She could go from sweet yawns and wanting to cuddle to hot tears and wails in a second when she got too tired. “But it's dessert and bed for her too.”

“Good idea,” Keith told him, returning his attention to the front. He waited until Lance had backed out of the parking space before reaching over to offer his hand.

“You really are sweet, Keith.” Beaming, Lance took it. He hoped they'd get along this well when it was just the two of them. As good as he was with Sirena and as much as he enjoyed holding Keith's hand, he still wasn't sure where they stood as a couple. “I'm really wondering what other moods you have.”

“Not many, but I'd be happy being with you long enough for you to see them all.”

“Yeah? I think I'd like that too. Though I think you're just looking for compliments,” he teased.

“That's not all I'm looking for,” Keith muttered back, staring out the window.

Lance gave his hand a squeeze. “That's not all I'm looking to give you.”

Smiling, Keith looked back over to him. “Good. I won't ask for a lot, but… yeah.”

“Yeah. I just... I want someone who actually wants to be around me. With or without Sirena. But they have to like her and want her around because _I_ want her. I fought hard for her, y’know?” He needed someone to trust, to have a good time with, to fall into bed with, to just care about and talk to. No one had ticked all of his boxes, but Keith had at least ticked one so far. One no one else had ticked, so he was looking forward to seeing what else he could do and what they could be together. “Other stuff, too, but yeah. I might just be more needy than you.”

“That's okay. I'm willing to give you guys anything.”

“Don't make promises you're too broke to keep.”

“I'd figure it out,” Keith persisted.

“Okay, pretty boy, whatever you say.” Lance let it go, charmed by the offer. It wasn't practical, but he'd always been a sucker for impractical romance.

Keith frowned slightly, but nodded and went back to staring out the window. One day he would reveal to Lance the reasons behind his attitudes and decisions, and maybe then the single dad would understand and let Keith do some things for them. Even if their relationship didn't work out and they didn't end up staying together, he'd still be willing to help out in any way he could. And that was something that he _could_ promise.

“So what toppings do you normally get on your froyo?” Keith asked.

“Depends on my mood. It's either super chocolatey or extra fruity. There is no in-between. Sirena tends to get fruit, especially this close to bed.”

“Mm, that's probably better for her anyway. I usually just get chocolate everything.”

That could cause a problem. Keith was new and interesting, so she'd want everything he got. He'd have to remember to pull Keith aside when they got there. “That much of a sweet tooth?”

Keith shrugged, smiling. “Little bit. But every once in a while I'll get fruit or something else.”

Lance shook his head, lacing their fingers. “ _Eres lindo._ ”

“Shut up.”

“You are, though. Don't deny it.”

“ _¡Lindo, lindo, lindo!_ ”

Laughing lightly, Keith shook his head fondly. “Well, you're cute, too, Sirena. Very cute.”

She giggled into her lion, legs swinging. It had gotten dark while they'd been eating, but she could still see Keith in the passing street lights. He was different from her papi and the friends her papi had let her meet before, only Hunk and Pidge and Mr. Shiro, but Keith was new and different. She liked the way he held her papi’s hand and the way he smiled at her. “Keef, you're my favorite.”

“Really?” he asked, genuinely surprised by the admission. In just the short amount of time he'd been able to spend with her, Keith had come to adore the little girl. Seeing how she'd already developed even though Lance was doing it all basically on his own, he knew she would hold a special place in his heart no matter the outcome of his and Lance's relationship. “You're my favorite, too.”

“Papi, I'm his favorite!”

He smiled. “You're my favorite too, baby, so that doesn't surprise me.”

“You're just biased,” Keith shot back to him, smiling.

“Mm. Well, I've known her her whole life and I've only known you long enough for you to stop annoying me.” Lance glanced over, sticking his tongue out.

Keith was hoping to change that, a thought that honestly surprised him, but he found that he absolutely meant it. He squeezed Lance's hand, rolling his eyes. “You were just as annoying.”

“Excuse you, I'm a perfect angel.” Lance smirked, knowing very well that he'd been an asshole. “I'm glad you randomly decided to start being nice to me.”

“Well, Pidge kinda talked me into it,” Keith admitted.

“Remind me to make her some peanut butter cookies.”

Keith laughed, squeezing his hand again. “Maybe I can come over and help you when you do.”

“I'd really like that.” Lance let him go to pull into the parking lot for frozen yogurt, stealing a spot near the front. He didn't want to bring any of her things inside, but knew she wouldn't leave the lion. “Are you still awake back there?”

“Yes! Is it dessert?”

“Yeah, baby, it's time for dessert.” Lance smiled Keith's way before slipping out to undo Sirena’s car seat. “We're gonna have some frozen yogurt. You want strawberry?”

“Strawberry!” she cheered, wrapping her arms around Lance's neck when he lifted her. “I like dessert, papi.”

Lance kissed her temple. “So do I, baby. Let's go have some with Keith.”

“Yay, Keef!”

He grinned as he got out, ruffling Sirena’s braids. “Yay, Sirena!”

She giggled, reaching for and gripping his jacket. “Hug?”

“Dad?” he asked, turning to Lance.

He hesitated, but she wanted him. “Okay. Just- She's a little heavier than she looks, so don't drop her.” Lance shifted her to Keith carefully, Sirena clinging to him happily.

Keith held onto her with a gentle strength, supporting her on his hip with an arm wrapped around her. His other lifted to gather her into a hug, smiling into a braid that fell into his face as her small arms came around his neck. “You give really good hugs, 귀여운 [gwiyeoun; sweetie].”

“Thank you, Keef.” She drew back to beam at Lance, blue eyes shining with excitement. “Look, papi! I get a Keef hug!”

“You sure do, _chiquita_. Do you want to keep her for a minute? I'll get her frozen yogurt done first and get her settled.”

“Yeah, I don't mind. Especially if I can get more hugs.” Keith bounced her up higher, smiling at her giggle.

“Hugs!”

Lance smiled as his shoulders relaxed, heart swelling. His baby was happy, and Keith seemed so natural with her. “Okay, cool. Come on.” He went to the door, holding it open. He'd never had free hands with her out with him, even keeping a hold of her when out with his family. She was his responsibility and he never wanted anyone to say he couldn't handle it.

Keith took a step through, hesitating in the doorway before leaning over and kissing Lance's cheek. “Thanks,” he muttered, before walking the rest of the way inside.

Face flushing, Lance followed them in. He snagged the smallest cup first. “Okay, baby, are you ready to pick out some yogurt?”

“Strawberry!” She pointed at the picture above one of the levers and Lance pulled it for her. He didn't put much in, only just covering the bottom, but it was enough for her tiny tummy.

“Do you want me to bring you over to the counter so you can pick out some toppings?” Keith asked her.

“Candy?”

“There might be some candy.” Lance guided them to the counter, Keith angling Sirena so her wide eyes could scan the array of treats. “Wow,” she breathed.

“Yeah, wow. How about more strawberries?”

“Yes!” She gasped, tugging on Keith's jacket. “Poppers!”

“Yeah, poppers. I'll give you some, baby. And then one more treat.”

“Um... Gummies?”

“We can do gummies.” Lance dropped four gummy bears into the simple cup, smiling at Sirena. She looked so happy, so sweet settled on Keith's hip, and he looked just as good. Content with her, as happy as she was. If this kept going, he was going to find his heart in a very dangerous place very fast. He knew better, or should've, but it was hard to say no to himself or his girl when things seemed so promising. “So what do you think, _chiquita_?”

“It's good, papi. I like strawberry and poppers. Do you like it, Keef?”

“I think it’s perfect,” he agreed, squeezing her lightly in a sideways hug. “If you like it, I like it.”

“‘Kay!”

They got hers weighed, Lance grateful that they were the only ones getting yogurt so they could leave paying until they'd finished making theirs. Lance set the cup on a table, smiling at Keith while he set her on the chair. “Can you be a very good girl and stay right here so Keith and I can get our dessert?”

“Yes, papi. I'm a good.”

“Okay.” It was a small enough place that Lance would be able to see her no matter where he went, so he let her be with a little tug to her braid. “Eat slow. We don't want any upset tummies.”

“‘Kay, papi. Slow dessert,” she promised, mashing her yogurt with the bottom of her spoon.

Lance let her, straightening and smiling at Keith. “Now you can get your chocolate fix with your hands free.”

“Cool. Not that holding her is a problem,” he amended quickly. “I'd be happy to carry her if your arms ever get tired.”

“I've had almost four full years of practice, buddy. I could probably carry you.” Lance kissed his cheek, unable to help himself. He was tempted to aim for the lips, but he had better self-control than that. “So there's banana, so I'm probably gonna go the strawberry banana route. You just doing chocolate or you going with actual flavor?”

Keith hummed in thought, looking over all the flavors. “I'm definitely doing chocolate, but I think I might mix some orange in too.” He shrugged, smiling. “That way I get a bit of both chocolate and fruit.”

“Dork.” Lance kissed his cheek again, lingering this time. “Thanks for tonight. For being so good with her and everything.”

“Y-yeah, of course. She's really sweet and seeing you guys together, knowing how hard you fought to keep her, it's just… It's really special.”

He didn't know the half of it, but Lance let his lips wander to Keith's brow. “She's my whole world, and people don't usually get that. It's why I'm scared to really talk about her. I don't want anyone to hurt her.”

“I won't,” he promised, but knew he'd have to prove it. He also knew that Lance would find out about his own similar situation sooner rather than later. “I couldn't do that to her or to you.”

They'd see. Lance drew away with a smile, grabbing two of the medium cups and passing one to Keith. “Just so you know, you're going to have to let us try whatever concoction you come up with.”

“Yeah, definitely. I'm not gonna go too crazy, I don't think,” Keith said, even as he started filling his cup with chocolate froyo.

“Mmhm. We'll see.” Lance added strawberry and banana to his, making his way to the toppings. He tossed in a few strawberries, four gummy bears, and a few of the poppers. “Have you ever had these? They're the best.”

Keith smiled, tossing some of the orange poppers in his own cup. “Yeah, they're awesome. I like popping them against the roof of my mouth.”

Lance smirked, lashes fluttering. “What else do you like against the roof of your mouth?”

“ _Wow_.” Keith was blushing again as he reached for the scoop to pour some M &M’s in his cup. “We're gonna have to go on a couple more dates for you to find that out.”

“That sounds like a promise.” Lance laughed, kissing his flushed cheek. “We'll see if you can stop blushing long enough to deliver.”

“That has nothing to do with my ability,” Keith argued.

“Mm. We'll see,” he repeated. “I wouldn't mind getting a demonstration sometime.”

“I'm sure you wouldn't.” Keith glanced at him, a small smirk on his face seeming out of place against the blush. “Maybe if the next couple of dates go well…”

Lance's libido certainly hoped they went well, but that was normal. It was having the rest of himself be so hopeful that was new and dangerous. But then again, he hadn't always been a cynic when it came to dates. They used to hold so much promise, the potential endless in every person he went out with. That had changed so brutally for him that he didn't know when he'd ever be over it, at least completely. They'd have to see if Keith was worth the shaky hope he was putting in. “If they do, you'll get a demonstration right back.”

“Well, then, I hope they do,” Keith murmured, reaching over to squeeze Lance's arm lightly. “I just hope they do, anyway.”

“Same. So far, so good though.” Lance set his yogurt down to be weighed, glancing back at Sirena. She waved, so he smiled and waved right back. “We'll be right there, baby.”

“‘Kay, papi!”

Keith pumped some hot fudge onto his, completing the chocolatey-orange concoction, and set it on the scale after Lance had taken his off. The guy behind the counter took Lance's coupon, and Keith handed over the money to cover the ticket. It would mean ramen for dinner a night or two within the next week until he got paid again, but it was worth it to see the little girl smile over her froyo. They both grabbed spoons and sat down at the table Sirena was at, Keith smiling at her. “How's your froyo?”

She blinked at him, sweet and clueless, and Lance grinned. “Your yogurt, Sirena.”

“It's yummy! And all melty.” She poked at it with her spoon, more of it still in the bowl than in her belly. The gummy bears were gone, though, and so were most of the poppers. “What kind do you got, Keef?”

“I got chocolate and orange with some candy and poppers on top,” he explained, pushing his cup a little closer so she could see. “Do you want to try some?”

She gasped, but paused with her spoon halfway to the cup and looked up. Lance smiled. “One spoon, baby.”

“One spoon!” Sirena scooped up a little bit. “Thank you, Keef!”

“You're welcome, 귀여운 [gwiyeoun; sweetie].” Looking at Lance, Keith took his cup back. “Did you wanna try it?”

“Absolutely.” Lance took a spoonful, humming around the sample. Sirena put her spoon back in her mouth and mimicked him. “It's good.”

“Yeah, s’good.”

Keith chuckled, bringing a spoonful for himself up to his mouth to lick off. “Mm, yeah. I wasn't sure about the orange, but it's pretty good.”

“Orange and chocolate is a classic combination, though.” Lance dug into his own, offering his spoon to Keith. “So’s this.”

Blushing lightly, Keith leaned forward to lick the froyo off the spoon, the flavors of strawberry and banana mixed with the sugary sweetness of the small amount of candies Lance had put on bursting over his tongue. He found himself wondering what the flavors would taste like on Lance's tongue, the thought causing the pink on his cheeks to deepen. “Hm, yeah, that is really good.”

Lance wet his lips, surprised by the burst of heat in his gut. Keith's little pink tongue was a danger with a similar shade dusting his cheeks. It was too easy to imagine him on his knees.

“Papi, can I try?”

“Yep.” Lance let her scoop some with her own spoon, the X rating in his head hitting G with a quickness. He could have his fantasies after she was tucked in bed for the night. “Do you like it, _chiquita_?”

“Yes! Strawberry ‘nana.”

Lance stroked the top of her head. “That's right, baby. Finish your yogurt.”

“‘Kay.” She mashed it some more, Lance grabbing napkins from the container on the table. This was only going to get messy.

Smiling, Keith tucked back into his yogurt, getting some of both flavors on his spoon with a few poppers. It was so easy to just _be_ with Lance and his daughter, which was surprising since Keith had been so annoyed with the guy a few weeks ago. But the more time they spent together, the more time Keith wanted with him, and with Sirena, and he'd do anything to make it happen.

“So when do you normally work at the grocery store? I'll have to come bug you sometime that I have free.”

“Friday through Sunday. I'm usually off by one on Sundays, six on Saturdays, and five on Fridays. The rest of the week, I'm done by three.”

“Three means papi,” Sirena chirped, and Lance tugged her braid before elaborating.

“She's off school then. So I get her picked up and home.”

“Okay. Whenever I get a chance, I'll come by. I told you I normally shop every other day for dinner.”

“Which is pitiful. I'll have to share sales with you.” And maybe bring him some home-cooked food.

“That'd be nice. I can't cook really great so I usually just get frozen meals.”

Lance blinked at him. Keith's life was truly worse than he'd thought. Between his mother and Hunk, he'd had no choice but to learn. Add being a dad, and there was always something cooked fresh for dinner. “I'll rescue you, sweetheart.”

Keith's cheeks flushed again at the pet name, and if he hadn't been sunk for this man before, he basically was now. “Lance… No, you have enough on your plate with Sirena. You don't have to pay any special attention to me.”

“I pay attention to everyone who deserves it, and if I'm going to be in any kind of a relationship with you, you deserve the attention. Besides, it's not like it's hard to tell you about sales.” Or portion meals for one more person. He usually made too much food anyway. Another curse of his mother and Hunk.

“Okay…” Keith sighed, but he was excited to possibly get a good home-cooked meal every once in a while. Being able to spend more time with Sirena would be fun, too. “Okay, Lance. Whatever you want.”

“Aw, you're learning,” he cooed.

“Oh, shut up and eat your yogurt,” Keith retorted, smiling softly into his next spoonful of froyo.

“Ooh. Papi, he told you to shut up.”

“I know, _chiquita_. He's just playing.” Lance kissed the top of her head. “Don't repeat it. What do we say instead?”

“Hush!”

“Good girl. We'll have to teach Keith the rules, huh?”

“‘Kay!”

Embarrassed, Keith hid behind his spoon. “Sorry…”

“You're fine, Keith. I'm only good at it because I've had practice. When I’m not with her... Well, you already know how I talk when I'm not with her.” Lance shrugged. “Her preschool principal already treats me like I'm an idiot, so I don't need her language to be a problem.”

“How does the principal treat you like an idiot? Why?!” he demanded, suddenly frustrated on Lance's behalf. “Clearly you're doing the best you can given your circumstances, even teaching her another language. Where do they get off treating you like you're stupid?”

They both blinked at him, Sirena reaching for her lion. Lance smiled slowly, stroking her hair to soothe after the outburst. He knew that temper well, and it was a hell of a difference to have Keith angry on his behalf rather than at him. “It's because I'm barely twenty and I'm about to have a four-year-old. Plus, I'm a guy. She's old-school, _cariño_. She thinks we should've gotten married and that the mother should be taking care of her.” It usually put a bad taste in his mouth, but against Keith's fury, he only felt distantly amused. “So she talks down to me and looks for any sign of a bad home life to report.”

Keith shook his head. “That's f- messed up. It doesn't matter how old school she is, she has no right to treat you that way.”

“I know. But I'm stuck with it for a couple of months. The teacher's great, at least. Bilingual, too, so she's helping with the Spanish. It's worth the trade-off.”

Sighing, Keith could only nod. He knew he was only relating his own issues to Lance's situation, and that wasn't going to explain or fix anything. Not that it needed to be fixed. Sirena seemed happy and healthy enough, and she clearly adored her father. That was good enough for Keith. “I'm glad she has the extra help.”

“So am I. She doesn't get enough time with my family to get there, and I...” He'd tried to erase as much of his heritage as possible when they'd first immigrated to the States, and it was a little jarring to try and input that into his daughter's life. “I try. I have some nights where we go Spanish-only, but it's not always easy. She tries her best, though.”

“She seems to always try her best. I know you have to be really proud of her. And…” Keith shrugged. The conversation had once again gotten steered into a bit too heavy territory for a first date, but apparently that's how it was going to be with Lance. Keith was surprisingly okay with it. “I can brush up on my Spanish and try to come over on one of those nights.”

“I think you're just trying to come up with excuses to come over, Keith.”

“So what if I am? Would you even try to stop me?”

He smiled, shaking his head. “No. So you don't need to come up with excuses, you dork. Just ask me.”

“Okay, then I'm definitely taking advantage of that.”

“Feel free, _cariño_. You and your cute face are very welcome at our place.” He looked down when he felt restless shifting, Sirena resting her chin on her lion. As much as he wanted to stay with Keith, he needed to call it a night. Sometimes, being a good dad sucked. “Baby, are you sleeping?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Nuh-uh?” Lance tugged on her braid to make her nose wrinkle. “If you're not sleeping, show me those hands. You've got sticky yogurt all over.”

She held out her hands on a long-suffering sigh, letting Lance clean them. She giggled when he wiped her mouth, but it ended on a squeaky yawn. “Papi, can Keef sleepover?”

Lance chuckled, pushing back from the table to get their empty bowls. “Not tonight, _chiquita_.” He met Keith's gaze, lips curved in an easy smile. “Another time.”

“Definitely,” he replied softly. Sleeping over sounded fun, not because of the possibility of sex, but because Keith wanted to just spend time with them.

Lance got trash thrown away quickly so he could heft Sirena into his arms. She rested her cheek on his shoulder, smiling sleepily at Keith. “Tomorrow?”

“Uh…” Keith glanced at Lance. “Well, tomorrow's a school night, but… maybe next weekend sometime?” He didn't know if it would be appropriate, so left the decision up to Lance.

“Maybe.” He might have to take a few hours off in the morning, but he wasn't sure. Besides, having him stay over after just a week seemed very fast. Too fast. He wanted it to happen, though. “You still need to shoot me your schedule.”

“Yeah, I will. We'll figure something out.”

Lance hoped so. He carried Sirena out, surprised when Keith took his keys to help him get the door open for her. He was so used to doing everything on his own. How was Keith so incredible? Lance bundled her into her carseat with her lion tucked in with her. She yawned, using the toy as a pillow when Lance closed the door. He took his keys back with a smile. “Thank you, Keith.”

“It's not a problem, Lance,” he murmured softly, mindful of the sleeping girl behind him. “I don't mind helping out. I'll do it however I can.”

On impulse, Lance slid his arms around Keith's waist and pulled him close. He rested his cheek atop his head, breathing him in. No one really helped him but his family and even they weren't there for the little day-to-day things. “That means a lot.”

Keith sucked in a breath, his own arms lifting to wrap around Lance. It had been so long since he'd gotten a hug from anyone, and Lance's was already one of the best he'd ever felt. “I- It means a lot to me that you tried so hard to keep her,” he whispered.

“She's my baby, Keith. She absolutely wasn't planned by me, and some days are harder than others, but she's still mine. I'd move the world for her.”

“I can tell. She's amazing, and I already love having her around.” Keith pulled back, but kept his arms around him. “I'm serious about helping. I'll make it work.”

“You don't have to make sacrifices for her.” Lance smiled, gently stroking Keith's back. “That's my job.”

“I want to. Nobody made sacrifices for me, and the fact that you are just… I want to.”

Lance rested their brows together. “You're so sweet, Keith, but you're scary too. I haven't had a relationship since I've had her. I've had a handful of one night stands and a ton of horrible dates, so this is... She and I haven't had someone like you.”

“Right, I get it. I haven't been in a relationship in… a really, _really_ long time. And I'm not trying to force my way in or anything. I just-” His voice dropped, gaze falling to the ground to avoid having to look at Lance. “I didn't have anyone around that cared about me the way you care about Sirena, but I want you to know that I can. I do care, about you and her.”

“I believe that, Keith. You don't have to turn your world upside-down for me to believe you care.” Lance kissed his cheek, lips gently roaming up and across his brow. Why hadn't he had anyone? Had his parents been neglectful? “ _Eres dulce, cariño_.”

Keith sighed softly, closing his eyes under the gentle attention. He realized it didn't have to be that drastic of a change, though he'd still make an effort to shuffle some things around to make time for Lance and his little girl. They were already becoming a big part of his life, and as scary as it was, he wanted to let them. “We should get going. You've got a sleeping baby in the car.”

“And she's going to be sad that she didn't get a chance to say goodnight.” Lance gave him a soft squeeze before letting go. “Come on. I'll take you home. I'm still expecting my goodnight kiss.”

“After tonight? You're definitely getting it,” Keith promised, finally walking around to the other side of the car to climb in. “I hope we can do something again soon.”

“Weekdays are when I have the most time, actually. Sirena and I usually get home just before four. I make sure she does whatever little bit of homework they had for her and get dinner started. Last year, it wasn't so smooth. She ate dinner with my siblings a lot and there was a lot of driving. I think that's why she's so good at sleeping in the car.”

Smiling, Keith offered his hand again once Lance got settled and backed out. “Yeah, she looks comfy, even in the car seat.”

“Mmhm.” Lance switched the music to classical, keeping it low for her before taking Keith's hand. “She's generally a pretty deep sleeper, thankfully.”

“That's good. Has she always been like that? Or did she keep you up a lot when she was still a baby?”

Sometimes, it was hard to think back to her first years, but he smiled. “She was very nocturnal, but I was dealing with a lot and not sleeping right anyway. I used to have eight hours of sleep to the minute, but can't even remember the last time I managed that. At first, she would wake up about an hour after I got home from school and she'd eat, get in a little bit of playtime, and be right back out for a couple hours. Then she'd start waking up all random hours. It was rough, but worth it. My family helped a lot, thankfully.”

“Yeah. That's great that they help out, too.” Keith squeezed his hand. “It sounds like she was a handful.”

“She's still a handful. I'm just better at being her dad. My youngest sister was seven when Sirena was born, so I had some idea of what babies involved, but... It's still very different when the baby's yours and your life is torn between court hearings and high school.”

“That must have been really tough, I'm sorry. But she's got a great dad, and an amazing family, it sounds like. What you did is admirable, Lance. There should be more people like you.”

He didn't always feel that way. Sirena was only there because he'd been foolish and let himself be taken advantage of. And yeah, he'd ended up doing the responsible thing, but that didn't mean he hadn't thought of the other options. Abortion, adoption - anything but claiming her as his own and taking care of her. This wasn't what he'd wanted in life. “The person I am now, maybe. Not the one I was then.”

“I'm sure you're happy you changed your mind, though, right? And she seems to be better off for it.”

“I'm happy I kept her, yeah. Even on her bad days, I'm glad. I can't imagine not having her now that I do.” Lance glanced at him, smile curving his lips. “I'm really glad you think she's happy with me.”

“Every time I've seen her she looks really happy, and I've only ever seen her with you.” Keith smiled back at him. “That little girl is over the moon for you, Lance. The best thing you could have done was keep her.”

“I like to think so. I don't want her to ever feel like she was a burden or a mistake. Just a surprise.”

“I think you're doing a pretty good job of that so far.”

Lance gave his hand a squeeze. “That... That's really good to hear.”

“I mean it,” Keith insisted. “She's lucky she has you as a dad.”

“I know you mean it, sweetheart.” Lance kept his gaze on the road, blinking the threatening tears away. “I just- Thanks.”

“Yeah, of course.” Having felt the mood change, Keith lifted Lance's hand to press a kiss to the back in a move taken straight from Lance's book.

Lance glanced over at him, cheeks coloring. “ _Si el agua fuera belleza tú serías el mar entero._ ”

“I understood ‘water,’ but what's the rest of it?”

“‘If beauty were water, you'd be the entire ocean.’” Lance smiled. “It sounds better in Spanish.”

“Y-yeah… Jesus, Lance…” Keith shook his head, blushing down at his knees. “Where do you get these lines from?”

“Calling it a line suggests that I don't mean it, _cariño_.”

“I don't think you don't mean it. It's just… lamely romantic.”

“ _Lamely?_ That's rude and uncalled for.” Lance grinned. “I only deliver the finest in romance.”

“We'll have to have a few more dates, then, so you can demonstrate,” Keith teased.

“Do you consider at-home dates to be dates? I don't know about you, but that's what generally fits my budget.”

“Any time I get to spend with you outside of school is what I would consider a date. So yes.”

Letting out a laugh, Lance gave his hand a squeeze. “That's good to know. Depending on your schedule, we can probably squeeze in a lot of dates.”

Keith smiled, charmed by Lance's laugh. “I'd like that a lot.”

“So would I. I know Sirena would too.”

“Yeah. I'm looking forward to hanging out with you guys some more.” Keith glanced into the backseat, watching Sirena for a second. “She really is my favorite.”

“She's the best. I made sure to keep her on routine today so she'd be extra behaved, but she's just excited to have a new person around too. She loves when Hunk and Pidge are over. Hunk plays Pretty, Pretty Princess with her. I've got pictures on my Facebook because I had to.”

Keith turned back around, cocking an eyebrow at Lance. “ _What_ is Pretty, Pretty Princess?”

“Oh my god. It's a board game with jewelry and shame. My sister Raquel bought it for her, and they played. It's been over ever since. Sirena wants to get her ears pierced because of it, but I don't have the stomach to deal with that right now.”

Chuckling softly, Keith dropped his head back against the headrest. “No, not yet. Are you gonna let her get them pierced soon, though?”

“I'm going to let her aunts take her closer to her birthday. A girls day, y’know?” Lance rubbed his thumb against Keith's hand. “Them and my mom. So she can get them done then.”

“And her birthday is soon…” Keith shot him a pointed glance. “Maybe we can have a one-on-one day date.”

“Maybe it can be a one-on-one sleepover.” Lance laced their fingers. “Depending on how this kiss goes.”

“You'll have to make that determination.”

“Mm. There's two people involved in this, _cariño_. So you'll have to help.”

“I'm sure I'll like it,” Keith predicted, staring at Lance's lips.

Lance wet them, slanting Keith a look as they drew closer to his apartment complex. “Are you?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Lance was sure too. If his daughter hadn't been in the backseat, they'd probably be having a sleepover that night. He gripped Keith's hand a little tighter. “I haven't wanted someone like I want you for a _really_ long time.”

“Honestly, I feel the same about you, Lance.” Despite the animosity at the beginning of their relationship, there was a connection that Keith had never really felt with anyone else before. That alone was what was pushing him to keep going, to keep trying to make it work. He didn't feel like there was a reason that it shouldn't work, and that's what Keith was going to hang onto.

“Yeah.” It was a little terrifying to feel so much so fast, but Keith had taken so well to Sirena and that apparently went a long way for his heart. They had to spend more time together for him to be sure. He had to go slowly for the little girl in the backseat, no matter how much his body yearned or heart reached. Lance let him go so he could pull into the complex parking lot, pulse skipping.

Once they parked outside of Keith's building, the air in the car seemed to thicken almost instantly. Keith unbuckled his seat belt and turned towards Lance with a bright blush on his cheeks just visible under the streetlight above them. “I know you don't want to leave Sirena by herself, so…” He glanced down at Lance's lips, licking his own.

“I should've kissed you at the froyo place.” There had been less tension. Lance unbuckled his seat belt and turned in his seat, reaching out to cup Keith's flushed cheeks. “Nervous, pretty boy?”

“Nah, it's just been a while.” Keith smiled despite the pink still dusting his cheeks, and finally leaned forward enough to lay his lips over Lance's.

It was like kissing a live wire. The shock went straight from Lance's lips to his toes, only to shoot back up his spine and spark in his head. Overwhelming and they'd just started. He drew back a little just to change the angle. “Fuck,” he breathed and delved back in for more.

Keith moaned quietly, lifting a hand to grip the hair at the back of Lance's neck. He hadn't been the only one to feel a spark, Keith's entire body buzzing with the energy of their kiss. It was the best kiss in his entire life and there would only be more in the future. “Lance…” he murmured when they parted again. “Holy shit.”

“If she wasn't in the backseat, we'd be heading upstairs.” Lance didn't want to stop kissing him, a hand slipping into his hair. “ _Eres divino_.”

“Y-yeah… God, Lance, we're gonna have to have that sleepover sooner rather than later.” Keith couldn't help himself and leaned in again for yet another kiss, running his tongue along Lance's lower lip.

Parting his lips on a low murmur of agreement, Lance lapped at Keith's tongue to encourage the kiss. One more. One more and he could be satisfied for the night. He wasn't going to go another day without kissing Keith if he could help it, though.

Keith let it go on for a few more moments before drawing back, licking his lips to savor the taste of Lance's on his. “I- Yeah, I really like kissing you.”

“Oh, yeah. That's- that's gonna become a regular event.” Lance brushed his thumb over Keith's bottom lip, quietly wishing for more. He wanted to take him upstairs, lay him down, and lose themselves to each other. Just a few hours, just the two of them. “I want- I mean, you know what I want. We can't, but I want it.”

“I know. I want it, too. But I can wait a little longer. I don't want to jump into this too fast.”

“I don't either. I can't.” Lance stroked his fingers through Keith's hair, marveling at how soft the strands were. “When do you have an afternoon free?”

“Uh, this week, Wednesday.”

“You wanna come over? I'm making mac and cheese and burgers. Whatever vegetable I can make Sirena promise to eat.”

Keith nodded, smiling as his fingers played idly with the hair at Lance's nape. “Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

“Okay. So it's a date?”

“It's a date,” Keith confirmed.

Lance gave him another kiss, this a light and promising one. “I'm kissing you after class Monday, so don't bolt out like you always do.”

Keith's lips curved into a smirk. “I won't. Not now that I know I get more of this.”

“Keep kissing me like this, and you'll get plenty.” Lance kissed his brow before drawing back. “I'll see you Monday then. Unless you want to sneak into the grocery store tomorrow sometime, but that's up to you.”

“I might be able to in the morning. I have to work at four.”

“Okay. I get lunch at one. I usually just get sandwiches from the deli. If you want some food, you can spend an hour with us.”

“Yeah, I'll do that.” Leaning closer, Keith kissed Lance's cheek. “Now go home and get her in bed.”

“You have to get out of the car first.” Lance leaned back in his seat, reaching for the belt. “ _Que tengas dulces sueños_.”

“What's that one mean?” he asked, thinking it was another of Lance's flirtatious lines.

“‘Have sweet dreams.’ I usually say it to her, but she's already having them.” Lance brushed his bangs back, smile fond. “See you tomorrow, pretty boy.”

“Yeah, tomorrow.” Keith opened his door and slid out, smiling all the way to the door of his building. When he turned around, Lance was still in the parking spot, waiting for him to make it inside, the thought warming him to the very core. He waved as Lance finally backed out, and went upstairs to his apartment where he crashed on his bed with thoughts of their possible future swirling around in his mind, the smile never leaving his face.

Lance drove home, smile bright and hope stirring. Of all the people in the world, he'd never expected the bad-tempered Keith Kogane to be stirring his need and hope so thoroughly. But the possibilities were suddenly there and they were endless. They had a tomorrow. He hadn't had hope for a tomorrow with anyone since Sirena’s mother had walked out of the hospital. It had nearly been four years. Four years had changed his life completely.

As he lifted the little girl from her carseat, her tiny fist resting over his shoulder and her soft mumbles in his ear, he knew he wouldn't trade a moment of those years. He wouldn't trade a second of his little girl's life for the life he'd planned before his girlfriend had come to him with crocodile tears and a pregnancy test. The bitch.

Lance carried Sirena into their apartment, getting her changed and tucked in bed. His alarm would have to be changed so she could have a morning bath, but he'd rather that than wake her now. He kissed her brow. “ _Que tengas dulces sueños, chiquita. Te amo._ ” He would never love anyone as much as he did her, but it wouldn't hurt to give Keith a shot. Not at all.

\----


	4. Chapter 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! So sorry about the delay in uploading. Between going out of town, losing our internet to lightning attacking our backyard and frying some things, and just life in general, it's been a little hard to keep up. We do plan to try and stick to a steadier weekly schedule, though! So stay tuned :)

Working at a grocery store was not glamorous. He'd once fancied himself a pilot, stylishly jet setting across the globe. Hot flight attendants, hot copilots - throngs of people interested in him because he could fly a plane. That's what he'd expected at sixteen. At seventeen, he'd had a baby, court dates, and exams he didn't have the energy to study for. Eighteen had been much of the same, with nineteen following suit. Twenty didn't look much different.

The dream of being a pilot hadn't died, of course, but now he thought of a bouncy little passenger with big blue eyes shining with excitement because her papi was taking her flying. If there were hot flight attendants, he didn't mind. They were just not falling across his lap, ready to see if he could still fly if they hit their knees. And the hot copilots were welcome, but they no longer swooned and awaited his every word with bated breath, ready to lavish him with praise. It would probably be Keith, irritated because he would be able to fly it better and wanted the pilot seat.

So, yeah, four years had given the plan a new direction. Piloting was more of a career goal than a filthy collection of wet dreams. It was still more glamorous than putting on a smile for the third angry customer that day who didn't understand what the word “expired” meant on their coupon.

It was just after one, so he wanted to go. He had a baby in the breakroom who needed lunch and Keith could be there any minute. He finished ringing her up. “Okay, thirty dollars and two cents is your total.”

“I'm not paying full price! I demand to speak to your supervisor.”

It was ten cents off tide pods. His smile broke at a corner as he switched on the red flashing light on his sign. “Sure.”

“What is _that_?!” she shrieked. “I'm not a criminal!”

“I-” He was going to reach across the counter and strangle an eighty year old woman. No judge nor jury would convict. “It's how we call our supervisors.”

“Well, you should've said something, you little idiot.” His smile died as she prattled on. “Honestly, this place has gone downhill so quickly with all these college dropouts running amok and now another Mexican.”

He wanted the floor to swallow him. “I'm Cuban, actually.”

“Oh, a _communist_. Of course. I'm surprised you're even willing to work! You all believe everything should be handed to you whether you do the work or not.” She tsked. “It's no wonder you won't honor my coupon. Can't handle good old capitalism, can you?”

Lance couldn't think of a response. He'd never been good at snappy comebacks when he needed them, mind and throat going dry as he stared at her through her ignorance. He'd erased his accent for people like this, hidden his second language like a secret shame. “I... Your coupon expired last week.”

“And I told you I use expired coupons here all the time!” she bellowed. Other customers looked at them, his fellow cashiers sending him pity-filled looks. “You ignorant child!”

Off to the side, Keith was watching the whole exchange, anger bubbling up inside him. People were so nasty nowadays for no reason, and over absolutely nothing. He'd been quietly observing for a while now, but as soon as that left her lips, he couldn't keep quiet anymore. “Hey!” he called out, stepping closer to the old woman. “You can't talk to him like that.”

Lance's eyes rounded as the woman turned to Keith. “Excuse me? I don't know who you think you are-”

Keith cut her off, seething. “I'm someone who's not gonna let you talk to another human being that way. He's just trying to do his job. It's not _his_ fault _you_ can't read.”

Lance had to bite his lip to keep from smiling. Keith's eyes were gorgeous, aflame with a righteous fury all for him. Thankfully, his supervisor appeared so he could direct his smile at her. “Hey, Jo.”

“What's going on here?” She put on a professional smile, taking in both Keith and the customer. “How can I help you?”

“This hooligan is accosting me,” she snapped, pointing a bony finger at Keith. “And _this_ communist won't accept my coupon. He hates capitalism and sense.”

Jo blinked, glancing at Lance. She ignored the insults, knowing very well it was nonsense. “You won't take the coupon?”

“It's expired.”

She took it when Lance offered it, humming. “Okay. I apologize, ma'am, but this is expired. Our system will not accept expired coupons.”

“I use old coupons here all the time!” she claimed.

“That's impossible. Our system will not accept them.” When she opened her mouth to continue arguing, Jo held up a finger. “Lance, there's someone waiting for you in back. Take an extra fifteen and I'll meet you later.”

“Thanks.” Lance stepped back, meeting Keith's gaze and subtly angling his head to signal him to follow.

Keith did, but glared at the woman as he passed because he just couldn't help himself. How dare she talk to Lance like that, belittling him in front of the entire store. The insults that had come out of her mouth made him want to punch her in the teeth, if they'd even been real. He pushed it out of his mind, though, as Lance led him to the back room.

Lance stopped just beyond the employees only door to grab Keith's hand and yank him close for a tight hug. “So hi.”

“Hi,” Keith muttered into Lance's hair, his arms wrapped securely around him. “You alright?”

“Yeah. Just give me a minute.” Away from the racist words and unexpected anger, Lance let himself tremble and cling. “That was- You were pretty great.”

Keith let his hands wander up and down Lance's back in a soothing rub, letting him hold on. “Yeah, well, she had no right. She was rude and nasty. I couldn't just stand there and not say something.”

“You mean like everyone else?” Lance kissed his temple, lips curved. “I appreciate it, _cariño_.”

“Yeah… Your hands were kinda tied anyway. At least your manager didn't give in.” Thank god for small miracles. “That ‘customer is always right’ saying is bullshit.”

“You're preaching to the choir big-time. But, yeah, Jo’s great. She comes back here to check on Sirena constantly. It's a serious relief since she's here so much.” Lance leaned back only enough to rest their brows together. “And she woke up asking about you.”

“Really?” That simultaneously warmed his heart and made him sad that he hadn't been able to say goodnight to her. “She really is sweet. I was looking forward to coming today to see her.”

“Good. I haven't told her you were coming for lunch.” Just in case he decided not to show up and to give her a surprise if he did.

Keith smiled. “Well, I hope she'll be happy to see me, then.”

“I think she will be.” Lance brushed their lips together, happy to have him close enough to steal a kiss. “I am.”

“I'm happy to see you, too, Lance.” Their lips met in another, firmer kiss, just as brief, but the same feeling from last night was there. “This is gonna make having to work later worth it.”

“This has made my whole shift worth it. The latest bitch and all. You're gorgeous when you're pissed off.”

Blushing, Keith shook his head. “How can someone be gorgeous when they're pissed off?”

“Your pretty eyes get dark and flash and your cheeks get just a little pink. You get just a little bit of a pout. It's gorgeous.” Lance pressed a kiss to the base of his ear, murmuring, “I bet that's how you look in bed.”

He flushed darker, fingers flexing in Lance's shirt. “Wouldn't you like to know.”

Lance smirked, nipping his ear lobe. “Hell yeah.”

“I have a f-feeling that's gonna happen soon.”

“I hope so.” Not soon enough, as far as his jumping hormones were concerned. Lance kissed his cheek. “Let's go get Sirena. She's probably hungry.”

“I am, too.” Keith pulled out of the embrace, but reached down to take Lance's hand in his, waiting for him to open the door so he could surprise his new favorite person.

Lance pushed the door open, gaze wandering to the single couch in the backroom. Bundled in blankets, eyes wide on a laptop screen while the cartoon played. She had headphones on, but sang softly along with the song. The movement of the door distracted her and she gasped when she saw her papi wasn't alone. “Keef!” she squealed. “Hi, Keef!”

He smiled, making his way closer to the couch with Lance in tow. “Hi, 귀여운,” he greeted. “How are you?”

She couldn't hear him, so tugged off the too-big headset and pushed Lance's laptop away so she could reach for him. “Are you gonna stay all day? I got movies. Hi, Papi!”

“Hi, baby. Keith's here for lunch, okay?”

“‘Kay!”

Keith let go of Lance's hand to reach for her, sweeping her up for a hug. “What movie were you watching?”

“ _Moana_! There's a chicken.” She wrapped her arms around Keith's neck, smile bright.

“A chicken?!” Keith exclaimed, humoring her. “I don't think I've ever seen that movie.”

“It's pretty!”

“The Rock plays Maui.” Lance grinned, stroking his daughter's hair. It was a rare hairstyle for her, the curls able to rain down her back and mussed because he hadn't had enough time to brush it through after her bath that morning. “He even has a song.”

“Seriously?” Keith laughed, hoisting Sirena higher on his hip. “We'll have to watch that one.”

“I'm in. The guy who plays the crab is great too.”

“Tummy-toe!”

Lance chuckled. “Close enough, _chiquita_. But maybe Wednesday after dinner?”

“Yeah, that works. I can't wait.”

“Me either. But let's get some lunch first. The deli here's great.”

“Yeah, I'm hungry.” Keith bounced Sirena lightly, smiling at her giggles. “What are you gonna get, princess?”

“Papi, Keef said I'm a princess.”

“He's a smart guy, _chiquita_.” Lance smiled. “Are you thinking a sub or some chicken tenders?”

“Sub!”

“‘Cause you got tenders last night, right?" Keith guessed, smiling at her vigorous nod. "What kind of sub are you getting?”

“I dunno.”

“Well, let's go figure it out.” Lance removed his apron, grateful that the uniform ended with it so he could dress like a normal person underneath it. He added it to the bundle of blankets, minimizing the movie to close the laptop. “Are you waiting for Keith to tell you what he wants?”

Sirena blushed, hiding her face against Keith's shoulder. “No.”

Keith chuckled, hugging her against him. “Well, I'm not sure yet. We'll have to see when we get to the counter.”

“She usually likes ham and cheese. Swiss doesn't tend to hurt her tummy. Maybe we'll try the wraps today, baby.”

She tugged on Keith's jacket. “Are wraps good?”

“Wraps are good. Ham and cheese sounds pretty good, too,” Keith agreed. “But what about turkey?”

“Turkey?”

“You like turkey, _chiquita_. I promise.” Lance smiled, guiding them out. It was different, letting someone else carry her. He normally let her walk to the deli, but she seemed perfectly content to be in Keith's arms and he seemed perfectly content to hold her. It was incredible. Lance took his free hand, smile soft. “I wouldn't mind spending more lunch breaks like this.”

“I wouldn't mind it either.” Keith squeezed his hand. “Whenever I have the time free, I'll definitely come by.”

“I hope so. I don't think Sirena minds either. Do you mind that Keith's here for lunch?”

She shook her head, smiling. “I like Keef.”

Keith smiled. “I like you, too, Sirena, a lot. And I like your dad a lot, too.”

“Papi, do you like Keef?”

“More every day, baby.” Lance kissed his cheek, Sirena giggling as she watched him. “He's pretty cool.”

“You're pretty cool, too, Lance,” Keith replied, his cheeks tinging pink.

He laughed. “I know.”

“Sh-” Stopping, Keith glanced at Sirena. “ _Hush_ , Lance.”

Lance's smile softened. It was a simple effort, adjusting his language for her, but it warmed Lance's heart nonetheless. “Never.”

Sirena giggled. “You're silly, papi.”

“He is, isn't he?” Keith agreed, smiling. “It's okay, though. I like his silliness.”

“Me too. I love my papi.”

Lance's heart melted and he had to steal her back from Keith for a gentle twirl. “I love my baby girl! So, so much.”

The scene in front of him made Keith's smile soften, seeing the love and unique bond between father and daughter. It almost felt like he shouldn't be there, but then Lance was turning back to him, and Keith had to say something. “You guys are so cute.”

“The cutest!” Sirena agreed, laughing when Lance rubbed their noses together. “ _¡Ay, papi, no! ¡Basta!_ ”

“ _¿Basta?_ ” Lance's lashes fluttered, Sirena squealing when he did it again and added a brief tickle of her sides into the mix.

“Papi! Keef, help!”

Keith reached out, taking her in his arms again. “Lance, stop torturing her,” he admonished, only to begin tickling her in the same manner Lance just was. “What was that?” he asked playfully over her squeals. “Help you?”

“Keef!” she shrieked, giggles helpless.

Lance only stepped forward when she was gearing up to scream. The volume was okay at home or outside, but not where he worked. Grinning, he laid a hand over Keith's and kissed her nose. “It's two against one, baby.”

“S’not fair, papi,” she panted.

“Not really, but we'll make it up to you,” Keith promised, bringing the mood back down. “I'll even let you play with my hair, okay?”

She gasped. “Promise?!”

Keith nodded. What damage could an almost-four-year-old _really_ do to his hair? “Yeah, I promise.”

Lance pressed his lips together to keep the smile away. This was only going to end in adorable disaster. He took Sirena again, kissing her cheek before setting her down so she could walk out some of her energy. When he took her hand, she reached for Keith's so she could be right in the middle. “Papi, I need a ribbons.”

“You have ribbons, baby.”

Keith chuckled, swinging his arm just a bit. “You planning to put ribbons in my hair?”

She giggled. “Maybe. Papi can help.”

Lance bit his lip. “Can I? Thank you, baby. I'd love to.”

“Oh god…” Keith muttered playfully, rolling his eyes. “What am I getting myself into?”

“Probably the best hairstyle you've ever had.” Lance swung his arm in time with Keith's, Sirena happy between them, and it only made his smile brighten. This was worth a crappy shift.

“I'll believe it when I see it,” Keith teased, smiling.

“Wednesday.” Lance squeezed Sirena’s hand, smiling. “Are you okay with Keith coming over for dinner Wednesday?”

“Yes!”

“Awesome. Dinner and a movie alright with you, princess? We can watch _Moana_.”

“Make way, make way!” she sang, bouncing happily as they reached the deli counter.

Lance squeezed her hand again and crouched down to read the menu. She knew it, but she liked her papi’s voice. She let go of Keith to shuffle closer, holding Lance's shirt instead while he murmured the things he knew she liked and some of the things she didn't just to see her scrunch her face. When she made her choice - a turkey and ham wrap with a hesitant agreement of tomato and lettuce - Lance hefted her to his hip and let her babble her order to the clerk, clarifying where needed. It was obviously a routine since Lance's order was a simple, “The usual’s fine, Mick. Know what you're getting, Keith?”

“I think I'm gonna do a turkey and roast beef wrap,” he told the guy, not wanting Sirena to feel like she was the only one getting a wrap or turkey. “Lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo.”

Sirena decided to add Swiss cheese to hers, but only a single thin slice was added. Lance smiled, as grateful for this job as he was for the TA position. It was a small place, the workers regular and kind. They knew and adored his daughter equally, and he never had to worry about her getting something she couldn't have. He took all three sandwiches when they were finished and wrapped up after passing Sirena into Keith's open arms. It was sweet to have someone else there, able and willing to let his little girl hold onto.

“How come you got pickles?” she wondered, poking Keith's cheek.

“Because I like pickles.” He poked her right back on the tip of her nose. “I like the vinegar. Have you ever tried them before?”

“Mm-mm,” she denied and Lance nodded to show otherwise. She hadn't liked the sour pickles, but she'd had them.

Keith nodded, laughing lightly. “Well, maybe you'll try one for me today.”

“‘Kay!”

Lance shook his head. It wasn't going to end well. His girl didn't like anything sour or bitter, definitely getting her pickiness from him. Lactose intolerance only further limited her food opportunities, but they were doing alright. She tried things without argument, most of the time. “I'm looking forward to seeing that.”

“How come, papi?”

“Just because, Sirena. I like when you try things.” Even when the things weren't as new as she thought.

“I can't wait to see it either.” Keith wondered if she'd make a face, since judging on Lance's reaction she hadn't taken too kindly to pickles in the past. “We'll see if you like them.”

“‘Kay.” She snuggled happily against Keith as he carried her back to the break room and climbed onto a chair at the table without being told, routined and hungry enough not to try and buck the system.

“Alright, you ready for lunch?” Keith asked her, taking his own wrap from Lance when it was offered.

“Yes! I'm waiting for papi.”

“Yeah? Being good today?”

Her lashes fluttered, a direct mimic of him. “Always good, papi.”

He kissed the top of her head, setting her sandwich down and his own to the side. He unwrapped half of her wrap, retrieving a napkin from the bag by the couch to tuck into her shirt. “Okay, baby, have some lunch.”

“‘Kay, papi! Thank you!”

Keith opened his own wrap, pulling a pickle out and setting it aside for her. He couldn't wait to see her reaction to it, watching as she took a bite of her wrap. “How is it?” he asked before taking a bite of his own.

“Yummy.” She looked at the circle of green he'd set on his wrapper. It was vaguely familiar. “What's ‘at?”

“That's a pickle, _chiquita_.” Lance took a bite of his own sub, amused by the wary look in her eyes. “Do you still want to try one for Keith?”

“Um... ‘kay...”

“You don't have to,” Keith assured her, smile soft. “Nobody’s gonna force you.”

Sirena looked to Lance, watching him arch a brow, and sighed gustily. “Papi will.”

Keith glanced at him, scowling. “I won't let him.”

Lance turned the look on Keith instead. That was it; there was the line. Absolutely no one was going to tell him how to raise his daughter. “If she says that she is going to do something, she has to do it. Even if she doesn't like it, a pickle isn't going to hurt her.”

The scowl deepened, Keith blinking at Lance. The outburst was surprising, especially since Keith had no idea why it happened. “Okay, god. I'll give her the freakin’ pickle.”

Sirena barely looked at it when it was set on her wrapper, quiet gaze going to Lance instead. She only heard that tone when she was being bad, but it wasn't aimed at her. She didn't know what Keith had done to earn it, but she didn't want it to happen. “Papi, don't be mad at Keef. He'll get all sad.”

Lance reached out to stroke her hair. He doubted he could make Keith sad, but he did have to keep control. Keith didn't have to see her every day, hadn't had sleepless nights over her and hadn't been told over and over again that he was too young and too male to raise a little girl properly. “I'm not mad, baby. Can you tell Keith why it's important for you to do what you say you will?”

“‘Cause... trust. And... really able.”

“Reliable.”

“Yes! We don't lie, papi.”

He nodded, covering her ears despite her disgruntled face. “I know that's not, like, what you meant? But don't undermine me. She's too young, and asking her to follow rules can't make me the bad guy.”

“Okay? You just kinda blew up.”

Lance sighed. “I'm sorry. I just- People always try to act like they know better than me. _Always_. So it just gets under my skin, okay?”

“Fine,” Keith retorted, picking at the paper around his wrap. “I'm not trying to tell you how to raise her. I meant it when I said you were doing a good job.”

“I know. Just...” They couldn't talk about it the right way like this. Sirena was already squirming, so he let her go. They could talk later if they needed to. “Eat your lunch, baby.”

She picked at her wrap, looking back and forth between the two adults. “Is Keef mad now?”

Keith tried to hold onto his irritation, but as soon as he glanced at her he could feel it dissolving away. He sighed softly, putting on a small smile for her. “No, 귀여운, I'm not mad.”

“Are you sure?”

“I'm sure.”

Unconvinced, she pursed her lips. “Papi?”

Lance smiled. “He's not mad at you, _chiquita_. I hurt his feelings a little bit, but I didn't mean to. Just like he didn't mean to hurt mine.”

“No, I didn't. And I'm definitely not mad at you, Sirena, I promise.” He reached over and ruffled her hair a little, watching with amusement as her curls bounced.

“‘Kay. Do I still gotta try the pickle?”

Lance tapped the table, feeling stupid. “Only if you want to.”

Keith sighed again. “If you don't think you'll like it, you don't have to.”

She didn't think she'd like vegetables, but she had to eat those too. But if Keith was going to be in their lives, Lance couldn't jump down his throat at everything he said. He hadn't been there. He'd never raised a child. So they'd take it a step at a time. “So eat the rest of your lunch and think about it.”

Staying quiet, Keith went back to his wrap. He didn't want this to become a _thing_ since he really wanted this relationship to work. They clearly had to have a talk at some point, though.

Lance thought the same, carefully catching Keith's ankle between his legs in the hopes that he wasn't so irritated that this was already over. But he had lines of his own, defenses built up to protect his daughter and, honestly, to protect himself. Sirena didn't remember her mother, but Lance did. Lance remembered the way his heart had been shattered and much of his trust with it. He was willing to give Keith a chance, but he couldn't let it be easy. He couldn't put himself or Sirena through a hurt like that again, and he could already feel that Keith was going to have a chance to hurt them.

Keith calmed some, wrapping his other leg around Lance's. He knew that there were boundaries, more so than any other relationship he'd ever had or ever would have, and he'd just have to learn what they were and respect them. Not only for Lance, but for Sirena, too. He looked back up at Lance, trying out a small smile. “I've never had the food from the deli before. It's pretty good.”

Lance returned the smile, glad for the attempt. They were going to be okay. “Yeah. The butcher's on-site, too, so their meat’s stellar. Even when I didn't work here, this is where we did our shopping.”

“I only ever get frozen stuff. I didn't even know they had subs and stuff here ‘cause I never come on that side of the store.”

Sirena gasped around a mouthful of turkey. “But they got chicken tenders!”

“I didn't know that,” Keith admitted. “But now that I do, I'll have to try them.”

“They're awesome. Some weekends, I just get two pounds of them and we make mashed potatoes at home. It's easy and pretty good for dinner.”

“That sounds really good, actually. Maybe on one of our date nights, I'll grab them if you make the potatoes?” he suggested hopefully.

“I'm very up for that.” More dates. Lance's smile brightened, shoulders relaxing.

“I like dates,” Sirena decided. “Can we go on more dates wif Keef?”

Lance laughed, reaching over to ruffle her curls. “Yes.”

Keith smiled, relieved. “I'd love to have you come on more dates, Sirena.”

“Today.”

“No, baby. Keith has to work. You'll see him Wednesday. That's in three dinners.”

Sirena hummed and carefully counted out three fingers. “This many?”

Nodding, Keith held out three of his own fingers next to hers. “That's right. Three nights and I'll see you again.”

“‘Kay.” Sirena wrapped her little hand around Keith's as well as she could, beaming. “I'll miss you.”

It melted his heart, Keith smiling warmly. “I'll miss you, too. I'm gonna think about you every day.”

“Good thoughts?”

“No one can think bad thoughts about you, baby.” Lance went to the fridge to get a bottle of water from the case he had. He returned with two for him and Keith and a sippy cup of juice for Sirena, taking the opportunity to kiss the top of her head. To gauge her reaction, he kissed the top of Keith's too, and was relieved when she only smiled like it was normal.

He blushed, but smiled. “Thanks, Lance.”

“You're welcome, _cariño_.” Lance wandered back to his seat, catching Keith's leg again.

Keith turned back to Sirena, his mood definitely lightened. “You doing okay?”

She nodded, smiling as she grabbed her cup. “Yes! I have juice!” She took a drink, smacking her lips. “Thank you, papi!”

“No problem, baby.”

“What kind of juice do you like?”

“White grape an' appow an' pineappow an' papi makes smoovies wif strawberry and ‘nanas.” She looked to Lance. “That's juice, right?”

“A thicker version, sure. I make them with coconut water or some kind of fruit juice normally.”

“I’ve never seen them made with coconut water. Does that change the taste at all?” Keith asked.

“A little bit, but it's mostly texture. It can make smoothies a little thicker, depending on what you get.” Lance shrugged. “I like it, and no complaints from mini-me here either.”

Keith chuckled. “That's good. I'll have to try it sometime.”

“We can probably arrange that,” Lance assured him, smile warming. “You obviously need more experiences in your life, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, well… Yeah, probably. I've never really had a lot of chances to experience things.” Being as broke as he was didn't help, either.

“We'll squeeze what we can into whatever time we have together.”

Keith smiled, grateful that he hadn't already messed everything up between them. “Sounds like a plan.”

Lance laughed. “Sounds like a lot of plans.”

“Well, yeah,” Keith snarked back. “But I'm okay with a lot of plans. It's more than what I would have had planned, anyway.”

“Yeah? Do you suck at dating?” he teased.

“I like to think that I don't, but I haven't been on a date in years.”

Lance reached for his hand, smirk softening to a warm smile. “I haven't been on a good one in years. Not until last night.”

“I like dates. It was a good date,” Sirena piped up.

“It _was_ a good date.” Keith poked Sirena lightly on her arm, his smile growing. “It was a _great_ date. And I can't wait for more.”

She giggled, taking his hand to poke it back. “Me too!”

Lance checked his watch as he finished the first half of his sub, wrapping the second half to tuck in the fridge. “Well, we'll have Wednesday to start. How does mac and cheese sound, baby?”

“Yay!”

Keith was a little wary about the mac and cheese, but knew the burgers would be more in his favor. “Mac and cheese and burgers. Sounds awesome.”

“It will be. The mac and cheese is... different? I have to make it a certain way for her, but it's still good.”

“What's so different about it?”

“I make it with homemade mozzarella and cheddar.” Lance shrugged, fiddling with his water bottle. “I know it sounds a little, like, _extra_ but I learned how because she's lactose intolerant.”

“Really?” That was probably the best thing Keith had ever heard. “So am I.”

Lance's eyes rounded. “Holy crow. Seriously?”

“Yeah, I am.” Keith's smile widened. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“No, it's just- That's awesome.” He knew his baby was starting to feel different. Since getting milk poured on her at school, she'd asked Lance to stop packing her milk and leftover mac and cheese had been going uneaten. Keith could help. She adored Keith and he was just like her. “Baby, do you know what that means?”

“Um... Nuh-uh.”

“Keith has to drink special milk like you.”

Her smile went into a rare shy form as she plucked at her wrapper. “Really?”

“Mmhm.” Leaning over, Keith kissed the side of her head. “I have to drink special milk and eat special cheese. Just like you, princess.”

Her smile brightened. “Papi, Keef’s like me!”

“He is, _chiquita_. I told you other people were.” He just hadn't met one and neither had she.

“Do you make cheese like papi?”

“No, I've never done that before. I don't know how.” He looked back at Lance, hopeful. “But maybe your papi could teach me one day?”

“I usually just do cheddar one day a week since it takes over an hour, but mozzarella takes twenty minutes so I'll make that Wednesday.” Lance smiled. “I'd love to show you.”

“I'd love to learn,” Keith replied, his smile just as wide. “Then maybe I could attempt to make you guys dinner one night.”

“Now that, I'd like to see.” Lance stuck his tongue out playfully, then looked at Sirena with a softer smile. “Lunch is almost over, baby. I have to go back to work soon.”

She pouted. “Is Keef gonna stay?”

“That's...” He paused, waiting for the automatic “no” to form, but it didn't. He could trust Keith alone with her. “That's up to him.”

“I-” Keith checked his phone. There was still time before he had to go to work, he had his work shirt in the saddlebag on his bike, and the gas station wasn't too far from from the grocery store. Lance hadn't immediately shot him down, either, so he didn't see why he shouldn't stay when Sirena clearly wanted him to. “Yeah, I'll stay. I have to leave soon, but I can hang out with you for a little while.”

“Yay!” she cheered. “Papi, did you hear?”

“Yeah, baby, I heard.” Lance offered a hand with his smile. “I hope you come say bye to me before you go.”

Keith took it, squeezing lightly. “Yeah, of course.” He definitely wanted to sneak in another kiss if he could.

“Okay. I'd be sad if you didn't, _cariño_.”

“Don't be sad, papi.” Sirena reached over and patted his arm sympathetically.

It only made him laugh as he rose, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “I'll try, baby. I'm gonna talk to Keith for a minute, okay? He'll be back. I want you to eat all your lunch.”

“Yes, papi.”

Keith nodded, getting up from his chair too. He ruffled Sirena’s already wild hair, smiling softly at her before following Lance back out into the employee hallway. “What d’you need to talk about?”

“Two things, but this first.” Lance cupped Keith's hips and drew him in, lips curving before they met Keith's.

Sighing softly, Keith pressed his against Lance's more firmly. There was almost a chance that he could have lost this, but now with Lance's mouth on his, he was so glad that he hadn't already screwed this whole thing up. His arms came up to wrap around Lance's waist, pulling him that much closer to deepen the kiss.

This was no less potent than their kisses the night before, sparks firing in Lance’s mind. He slid his hands up Keith's sides, arms draping over his shoulders so he could toy with the ends of his hair. He angled his head, tongue brushing over Keith's lower lip to encourage them to part.

They did, Keith drawing Lance's tongue into his mouth with small kitten licks. He couldn't quite stop the quiet moan from escaping at the taste that assaulted him again, suckling on Lance's tongue to get as much of it as he could.

Lance echoed the sound, backing Keith against the wall so he could press as close as possible. He was warm and lean, the curve of his hips subtle and irresistable. Lance's hands fell to them again, squeezing firmly.

Keith had to break the kiss for a minute, his head thumping against the wall as he pulled out of it. If they'd continued the way they were going, Keith couldn't have promised that he wouldn't just rut against Lance right then and there. “Lance, _fuck_. Why- Why is this so much better with you?”

“I don't- I don't know. I just never want it to stop.” Lance rested their brows together, staying close. “I'm sorry I got all defensive on you.”

“No, it- You had every right to be. She's _your_ daughter. I shouldn't have said anything…”

“But you're also not used to being around kids and, yeah, it seems mean to make her do something she obviously doesn't want to do. But... I have to do that sometimes. It's part of my job as her dad. She has rules.” Lance kissed his cheek. “And if you're going to be in a relationship with me, I need you to be my partner. You can't let her get away with everything.”

“I know. I'll try to be better about it,” Keith promised. “The last thing I wanted was to go over you.”

“Okay. That being said, I have cookies tucked away for her in the small pocket in the front of my backpack. She can have one after she's done with her lunch. And if she gets another before you leave, that's okay too.” Smiling, Lance rubbed their noses together.

Nodding, Keith's lips curved. “No more than two, though, right?”

“Please. She gets a lot of treats she thinks I don't know about from my coworkers.” Lance kissed his smile, unable to resist. “And I'm not gonna say bring me one when you leave, but...”

Keith laughed. “I'll bring you one. And I'll make sure Sirena doesn't get more than two out of me.”

“Thanks. How long are you staying with her?”

“I have to clock in at four. So I'll leave around three forty-five.”

“Which gas station is it? Maybe I need to top my tank off.”

“Yeah?” Keith smirked. “ _Maybe_ it's the one behind the humanities building at the edge of campus.”

“Then maybe I'll see you after work.” Lance tugged his hair the same playful way he did Sirena. “If I get a kiss out of it.”

“Of course you'll get a kiss out of it. If today goes the same way all my other days go, I'll need it.”

“Yeah, I've worked gas stations before. It blows.” Sympathetic, Lance nuzzled him. “Do you need dinner too?”

“I mean, I usually just grab something from the fridge or like a hot dog. I wouldn't say no, but…” Keith trailed off, averting his gaze. “I don't want you to spend money on me when you don't have to.”

“I just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself, sweetheart.” Lance kissed along Keith's jawline. “It's important.”

“Yeah… I'm trying. It's not always easy to eat the way I'm supposed to, but… I'm trying.” Keith's eyes closed in contentment, letting Lance's lips roam over his face. It was the most intimate contact that wasn't actually sexual that he'd ever had in his life, and while it was new and surprising, it didn't feel weird coming from Lance. “I'm glad you're willing to look out for me.”

“Mmhm. I like taking care of people. I like letting the ones who matter know how much they mean to me.” Lance brushed his lips over Keith's eyelids to watch his eyes close, fingers kneading his sides. “You matter.”

“You do, too. You matter to me. You and Sirena.” He just wished that he had more opportunities to show it.

“I appreciate that, Keith. I really do.” Lance gave him a last kiss, drawing back. “I've got to get back to work. I'll come flirt with you at work later.”

Chuckling, Keith nodded. “I'd seriously like that.”

“Okay. Go keep my baby entertained for a little bit. If she gets you to watch _Moana_ tonight, we can do something else Wednesday.”

“I'll direct her attention to something else so we can watch it Wednesday.” Keith smiled, his hand on the doorknob to get back in the break room. “I'll see you in a little bit.”

“Later, Keith.” Lance watched him go, smile soft and fond. It hadn't been a perfect lunch, but he was satisfied where they'd ended up. Keith understood him now and seemed to understand where he was coming from. It was all he could've asked for in an actual boyfriend and more than he'd started to expect.

But he was so happy for it and looked forward to where they'd go from there.

Keith sat back down at the table next to Sirena, smiling at her and her finished lunch. “Good job,” he praised, wrapping his own trash up and then grabbing hers up. “What would you like to do now?”

“I got a buncha movies an’ games. Papi says if there's a ‘mergency, I can go find him or somebody else in the green. An’ I'm not s’posed to talk to strangers.” She knew the rules well, knowing that her misbehavior would get her papi in trouble too. “D’you wanna watch a movie?”

“I'd love to watch a movie with you. Can you do me a favor, though, and save _Moana_ for when I come over on Wednesday?”

“‘Kay! Papi gave me a whole buncha movies.” She wiggled off the seat and skipped to the laptop to take it back to Keith. “Here, Keef. You gotta be extra nice so papi won't cry.”

He took it from her and set it up in the middle of them, pulling it close to the edge so she'd be able to see in her chair. “Extra nice to you?”

“Mm-mm. The laptop.” Sirena scampered back to the couch to steal her blankets, piling them onto the chair before climbing on top. It didn't give her much height, but she liked the extra cushion. “The last one broked ‘cause dropped it. An’ I heard papi cry to Abuela.” Though she'd already been put to bed, she'd snuck out to try and get a few more minutes awake and had heard him on the phone. She'd snuck back to bed and had made sure to be extra careful with the things her papi let her use. “So don't hurt it.”

“I won't, I promise.” Keith scooted his chair closer to Sirena’s, pulling up the file folder with all the movies. “So which movie do you want to watch?”

She looked through the thumbnails, the pictures bright and colorful. A blue blob caught her eye and she tapped it. “This! That's Bob. He's silly.”

“ _Monsters vs. Aliens_?” Keith read, glancing at her. “I've never seen this one. What's it about?”

“Susan gets big an' the bridge falls down. An' then she gets small again with the squidward man an' they save the whole world.”

“Oh, okay. Sounds good.” Even though Keith still had no idea what it was supposed to be about, he pressed Play on the movie anyway. “You'll have to show me all the movies you love.”

“All the movies. Papi an' me watch movies all the time. Do you wanna color?”

“Sure, I'll color with you. Where are your crayons and coloring book?”

“Papi’s bag.” Sirena pointed at the backpack tugged by the couch. “I like colors best. Will you write my name all swirly an' pretty again?”

“Of course.” Keith smiled, getting up to grab the bag and coming back to sit down next to Sirena. The crayons and book were right near the front, so he dragged them out and set the box up on the table. “What color would you like me to use today?”

“Um... Any color.” She pulled out loose printer paper Lance had tucked away in the back for the time Sirena wanted to draw something on her own and gave the small stack to Keith with a bright smile. The movie distracted her quickly, though, and she pointed at the brown-haired character. “Two-timing jerk.”

“‘Two-timing jerk?’” What the hell _was_ this movie? “Your papi lets you watch this?” he asked incredulously, picking out a bright blue crayon to write Sirena’s name in.

“Papi thinks it's funny, but he says I'll get the jokes better when I'm a big girl.” She smiled, picking up a purple crayon and opening to a picture of a tiger. “I like Bob ‘cause he can get all squish an' he likes birds.”

“Bob sounds like fun.” And thankfully the jokes were going over her head for now. He took a piece of paper and settled it in position to begin writing, glancing up at the screen. “So that’s Susan, then?”

“Yeah. But she looks prettier with white hair. I like her wedding dress.” Sirena pressed her lips together. “I asked papi one time if my mommy wore a pretty dress when they got married an' he said they didn't get married. An' I said how come an' he said she wasn't the kind of person he wanted to marry. Then he said he didn't want to talk about her anymore.”

“Well, your papi worked really hard to make sure that he could take care of you.” Putting the crayon to the paper, he drew a giant looping ‘S’. “Do you think he's a good dad?”

“Yes! My papi’s a good papi. Even when I gotta eat vegetables.” She nodded, beaming up at him. “I love my papi.”

“And he loves you very much, too.” Smiling back, he reached over with his free hand to ruffle her curls. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“I like secrets!”

Keith nodded, putting the blue crayon back to grab a green one. “I wish I had someone like your papi when I was growing up. I didn't have a mommy or a papi.”

Her eyes rounded. “Like Annie?”

“Yeah, like Annie.”

She reached for his arm, hugging it tight. “I'm really sorry, Keef. Annie had a knock hard life.”

He smiled sadly, leaning down to hug her back. “Thank you, Sirena. You're really sweet.”

She leaned against him, fingers curling into his shirt. “Do you still need a papi? I can share mine.”

Keith blushed, but laughed it off. “That's a little different, sweetie. At this point in my life, I don't need one, but I like being with your papi.”

“He likes being wif you too. He sang all morning.”

“Does he not usually sing?” he wondered, the ‘i’ forming on the page next.

“Mm-mm. Not when he doesn't got music, _and_ he sang pretty Spanish.” Sirena smiled, reaching for a yellow crayon. “Are you an' papi gonna be friends?”

The information made him smile, patting her arm and picking out a pink crayon next. “Yeah, we are. If things go good, we'll be really good friends.”

“Like papi an' Hunk?”

“Um, not really.”

She pursed her lips. “What kinda friends?”

How was Keith supposed to explain to a three-year-old that he wanted to date her dad and also possibly bang him, all in a way that she could understand that was appropriate? “Kinda… Kinda like he was with your mom before you were born.”

Sirena paused in her coloring, toying with the crayon. “But... Nobody talks about my mommy. An' papi gets sad an' she wasn't nice to me. I don't want you to be like her, Keef.”

“I won't be, I promise you that. I like your papi a lot, and I won't be mean to you _or_ to him. You have my word.” He set the crayon down, turning more fully towards her. “We don't have to talk about her anymore. But I can tell you that I'm going to try and not be like her.”

She reached for a hug, pouting. “Promise?”

He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her for a tight hug. “I promise, Sirena.”

“‘Kay. Are you sure you don't want a mami or papi? My abuela an’ abuelo would like you. I bet they'd be your mami an' papi! Hunk says they're second parents all the time an’ Pidge likes them a whole bunch too.”

“We'll see,” he replied. “I think I might like to have a mami and papi.”

“‘Kay.” She'd have to let her papi know. “Ooh! This is when Susan meets Bob. You gotta watch!”

Keith chuckled, giving her a squeeze before plopping her back on her blankets. “Okay, I'm watching. And you were right, she does look better with the white hair.”

“Yeah!” Sirena cuddled against him, staying close until the movie ended and they finished their projects. It was the most fun she'd ever had stuck at her papi’s work, so she was sad to see him go.

“Is it really gonna be three whole dinners ‘fore you come visit?”

“Unfortunately, yeah.” Keith shut the laptop and helped pick up the crayons, putting them back in the bag. After it was all cleaned up, he scooped her into another hug. “I have to work, too, and I'm not off until Wednesday.”

She pouted, but hugged him back nice and tight. “Can I send you a g’night on papi's phone? He lets me wif abuela an’ abuelo an’ all my aunts an’ uncles.”

He smiled, kissing the top of her head. “You absolutely can. I'd love that.”

“‘Kay. I love you, Keef.” She kissed his cheek, not wanting to be put down. “I'll see you in three dinners, okay?”

His cheeks flushed again, willing to hold onto her for a little bit longer. “Three dinners. I- I love you, too, Sirena.”

“Do you love papi too? My mommy didn't.”

“I…” That was more difficult. They'd barely been on two dates, but Keith was able to feel a connection with Lance that he'd never felt with anybody else. There was something definitely there, but it would take a little bit more time for it to develop. “It's a little early for that, but… I think I could.”

“Abuela told abuelo that papi has a big heart so it knows how to take big bruises. But bruises are bad, right?”

“Yes, bruises are bad. But I'll try my best not to bruise your papi’s heart. That's not what I want to do.”

“‘Kay. He won't bruise yours either, okay? I'll tell him to be nice.”

“Okay. I appreciate that.” He kissed the top of her head again, pulling out of the hug and sitting her back down on her chair. “I have to go to my work now, so be a good girl and stay in here, alright?”

“‘Kay. Bye, Keef!”

“Bye, sweetie.” Keith left the break room with some time to spare to say goodbye to Lance before he absolutely had to leave. Halfway through the movie he'd nabbed the cookies from the front pocket, sharing two with Sirena and setting the other one aside, which he held now to give to Lance as he wandered back to the front of the store. There was only one person in line that Lance was almost done checking out, and as soon as they left, Keith walked up to him with a small smile. “I saved you a cookie, as promised.”

Lance placed a hand over his heart, lashes fluttering as his lips curved. “Aw, so romantic.”

Keith rolled his eyes but handed the cookie over. “You're so dumb, here.”

Laughing, he took the chocolate chip and broke it in half. “Here. I'll bring you some tenders when we come visit you later.”

Blushing, Keith took the offered cookie and bit into it. “That sounds great.”

“Good. How was Sirena?” Lance leaned against the counter, happy with the brief break in his workflow. “If you say anything less than ‘perfect angel,’ I'll call you a liar.”

“No, she was great.” Keith smirked, finishing the cookie. “Yeah, I gave her, like, four cookies and she colored all over the walls and I let her watch the grown-up movies on your laptop.”

“I only know you're lying because the grown-up movies are on an external hard drive that child will never see.” Lance stuck his tongue out, pleased that she'd behaved and Keith seemed happy. “I'm glad you still like her.”

“I do. She's an amazing little girl. I'm really excited to see her on Wednesday, and any other day.”

“ _Ella es mi bebé preciosa_.” Lance's smile warmed. “Did you tell her we were popping in tonight?”

“No,” he admitted. “I figured you wanted to keep that a surprise.”

“I absolutely do. She'll be over the moon.” And so was Lance. Swept right off his feet because he'd given up his whole afternoon to spend time with his little girl. “I'm seriously amazed that you'd willingly spend almost two hours with a three-year-old. I don't even know how to start paying you back for that.”

“You don't have to pay me back for anything, Lance. I genuinely like spending time with her, and it's not like she's a bad kid.” Keith shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets, though a small smile still played across his lips. “She's a perfect angel, like you said.”

“Sometimes.” More often than not. Lance genuinely didn't know how he'd gotten so lucky with her. “I still appreciate you spending time with her. What'd she drag you into?”

“We watched _Monsters vs. Aliens_ and she had me color with her and asked if I could write her name again.” His smile widened. “She'll show it to you.”

“Good. She made me put the napkin in a little frame and it's by her bed. She really likes it.” Lance grinned. “Also, that's the best movie ever and she won't understand half of it until she's at least a teenager.”

Keith's heart melted, the fact that Sirena liked his crappy little calligraphy enough to get it framed only making him more fond of her. He'd have to make her a bigger one soon. “It was a really funny movie,” he agreed. “And it's a good thing she didn't get all of those jokes.”

“Mmhm. I can't get her to stop calling Derek a two-timing jerk, though. She loves quoting Bob.”

“She said that before we even started watching it and I thought that my brain was going to explode.” Keith laughed, remembering when she'd said it again at the end of the movie when the actual line had come up. “She's just incredible.”

“She is.” And it was so nice to have someone else see that who wasn't family or close friend. Keith was something else, something more. “Now go on. Kiss me and go to work before you're late and I get in trouble.”

“Okay, okay.” Leaning across the counter, Keith dragged Lance into a kiss, not as heated as their ones in the hallway, but still every bit as electrifying. “I'll see you later.”

“Definitely. Later, Keith.” Lance couldn't watch him for long, a customer wandering into his aisle, but it was definitely a lovely interlude in his workday and it kept him in high spirits throughout his shift.

When the end of it rolled along, he switched his register light off, cashed out his register, and quickly headed towards the back. Sirena was on the floor this time, her colors back out and music playing from the laptop speakers. She scrambled up when she saw him, smile bright as he scooped her up for a fierce hug. “Hi, papi!”

“Hi, _chiquita_. How's your day been?”

“Good! I got lots of color. Ms. Marilyn gave me a new box of crayons but she called them coloring pencils.”

He glanced down at the unopened box, much longer than her normal crayon boxes. “That's because colored pencils are a little different. I'll show you when we get home.”

“‘Kay! Cleanup time?”

“Cleanup time.” Lance helped her gather everything, bundling it all together in his bag. He held onto the blanket after neatly folding it and took her hand to lead her to the deli. She was excited and very curious over his order of chicken tenders and request to have it split into two containers, but Lance brushed over her questions with a small smile and tugged her to the exit and their car.

And while he was buckling her in, she dropped a bomb on him and shattered his easy mood. “Papi, can Keef come meet abuela an' abuelo?”

It was a little early for that, but it wasn't out of the question. He had to pass a family test eventually. “Maybe soon, baby. Were you and Keith talking about abuela and abuelo?”

“Yes! ‘Cause I said you could be Keef's papi but he laughed an' said you were gonna be friends. So I said abuela an' abuelo could be his mami an' papi instead.”

“Mm. Well, it would probably be a little odd if I was his papi.” Lance smiled, amused by the unintentional kinkiness. He could only imagine Keith's blushing reaction to the suggestion. “But he has his own mami and papi for right now, so-”

“But he doesn't, papi!” Sirena tugged on his sleeve, pouting. “Keef said he never had a mami or a papi. Like Annie.”

He stared at her. She wasn't lying. She wouldn't lie about something like that. She didn't know how. Keith was an orphan. The guy he'd thought had everything, the one he'd treated like garbage since the beginning of the semester, didn't have a family. Had Shiro's parents raised him? He wasn't sure how close of cousins they were with Shiro being Japanese and Keith being Korean, but there was a possibility. One of them might be mixed, their mom belonging to either Japanese or Korean culture. But what if he'd been raised by the system? Foster care and the like. No adoption, apparently, if he still didn't have parents to speak of.

“Papi, are you okay?”

“I'm-” An awful person. The absolute worst. “I'm okay, baby. Is that all Keith told you?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay. Um. Okay.” He finished the last buckle of her carseat and closed the door, turning away so he could stare at the clouds and take a few deep breaths. He couldn't imagine a life without his family. He wouldn't have Sirena, wouldn't have had the opportunities he did, wouldn't even be in this country. He wouldn't have his hoard of siblings and their support... No wonder Keith didn't take care of himself and was struggling. He was alone.

Trembling, Lance climbed in behind the wheel and started the car. Music pumped from the speakers, happy pop songs spilling out because he'd been so happy that morning. He had Keith and life was wonderful. Now, he felt selfish and like a complete asshole. And he understood a little bit better why Keith had no problem with him being a single dad. Having one parent was a sight better than having none.

“Papi?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Keef said it was a secret, so you can't tell. Okay?”

Lance imagined he was the person he'd meant for her to not tell, but Keith didn't understand yet that she never kept secrets from him. It was one of the things he'd been instilling in her. Secrets were always better if he knew, so they could share them. His siblings had barely managed to throw him a surprise birthday party back in July by telling her she could share the secret with them and making her promise specifically not to tell him.

Had anyone ever thrown Keith a birthday party?

Lance hummed, making a mental note to text Hunk and Pidge as soon as possible. If he hadn't had a birthday party, he was definitely getting one that year. Even if it was small. Though Keith would likely know his family by then, his birthday just over a month away and after Sirena's, so it might be a little big. But that would depend on Keith.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be too upset with Sirena telling on him. “I won't tell anyone, baby. I promise. We have to make a stop on the way home, okay? Papi needs gas.”

“‘Kay!”

Smiling, Lance made his way to the gas station Keith worked at, pulling up to one of the pumps and glancing at the gas indicator on his dashboard. He might be able to squeeze in a gallon, but that wasn't why he was really there. He didn't bother pretending, pulling forward to park in front of the building. “Come on, baby. Let's go give these tenders away.”

She gasped. “All of them?”

“No, just some.” Lance smiled, taking one of the small cartons from the bag before he got to the backseat to take his daughter from her carseat. He let her walk, holding her hand and smiling warmly when she tried to push open a pull door. He released her hand to get it open and ushered her ahead. He saw Keith before she did, bored behind the register, and his heart melted. He was too sweet to be alone in the world. “Hey, pretty boy. Busy?”

Keith’s head shot up at the voice, smiling widely when he saw Lance and Sirena walking towards the counter. “Hi, Lance. Not busy now, but we just were.” He turned his smile to the little girl practically buzzing in Lance's hold. “Hi, princess.”

“Keef!” she squealed, bouncing up to her toes to see over the counter. It didn't quite work, but it didn't keep her from waving. “Hi, Keef! Papi, are the tenders for Keef?”

“Yeah, baby. Can she come around or do you have to be out here?”

“I'll come out there,” he said, already making his way to the end of the counter and the walk through. “Not allowed to have non-employees behind the counter.” Once he was out, he knelt down and held his arms open, laughing when Sirena ran into them and got scooped up for a hug. He kissed her cheek in a warm greeting. “Hi, sweetie.”

“Hi, Keef!” She beamed, holding him tight. “It hasn't even been one dinner!”

“Nope. Your papi wanted to surprise you.”

“Yeah, I did. Were you surprised, _chiquita_?”

“Yes! Surprise!” she chirped. She watched with wide eyes when Lance cupped one of Keith's hips and leaned forward to brush their lips together. It was brief, but surprising. She'd never seen her papi kiss someone right on the mouth before and wasn't completely sure how she felt about it. Keith really was being like a mommy, but he was more like a mami because he was nicer to her and her papi and didn't have the frowny man.

Keith blushed after the kiss. It was the first time they'd done it in front of Sirena, but after a glance at her, it seemed like she didn't mind it so much. That or she was still processing it. He smiled anyway, hitching her up onto his hip. “I'm glad you came.”

She glanced at Lance, smiling since he seemed just as happy as Keith. “Me too! Are you at work?”

“Yep, this is where I work.” He twirled her around so she could see the whole store. It wasn't very big, but they had more than just two aisles of junk food. “Not as nice as where your papi works, though.”

She shook her head. “It's okay, Keef. You're here so it makes it good.”

Lance chuckled. “Yeah, it does. You on your own?”

“Well, my manager is here in the back. But I'm the only one out here for right now.” Keith shrugged. “My next coworker comes in in about an hour.”

“No chance of you taking a break for a few minutes then?”

“No… I don't get my break til eight.”

He didn't want to text him about what he'd found out, but they could talk on the phone. “That's bedtime!” Sirena announced. “Do you stay up late like papi?”

Keith nodded, bouncing her slightly. “I have to. I work late, and then I have some homework I need to do.”

“That's sad, Keef. Papi does lots of homework. All year.”

“It's better than not doing it and failing.”

“Yeah, it could be worse. But I am just really tired all the time…”

“At least you're halfway done.” Lance shrugged, setting the carton on the counter before leaning against it. He still felt a stirring of jealousy, quietly wishing he was as close as Keith. “More since you have your recreational pilot's license already.”

Pilot was a word Sirena knew well, the girl eagerly tugging on Keith's shirt. “You can fly?”

Keith looked at her, her bright hopeful eyes making him smile. “I can, yeah. Have you ever been flying?”

She nodded eagerly. “One time!”

“It was Shiro, actually. He took us up before my lessons with him started. So I could, like, see him handle the controls. I didn't have anyone to watch her, but he didn't mind at all. It was great.” Lance looked forward to getting his license just so he could take her up again. “She loved it.”

“Yes! The trees were little!”

Keith chuckled, poking the tip of her nose. “They do look that way, don't they?” A thought occurred to him, then, and he turned back to Lance. “Maybe I can take you guys up sometime. Shiro would let me use a plane, especially if I tell him I'm helping you.”

“That would be- Holy crow, Keith. I mean-”

“Yes, please!”

“Then it's settled,” Keith decided, mentally high-fiving himself over Lance's speechlessness. “It's not a problem, Lance.”

“I...” He loved to fly. Anytime he was in the air was a good time. He nodded, smile suddenly as bright and eager as Sirena’s. “Yeah? Just- We'd love to go. Whenever you want.”

Nodding, Keith leaned over to press a kiss to Lance's cheek. “We'll figure out a time.”

“Okay. Thank you, Keith.” Lance shifted closer, tugging him into a half-hug to accommodate for Sirena. She giggled, happy to be between them and excited by the prospect of flying.

Keith kissed the top of her head. “You're welcome. It'll be fun.”

“Yeah!”

Lance stroked her hair, so relieved by how easy she was with him and Keith being so close. Maybe it was because she'd never seen him with anyone before. Plus, she obviously adored Keith. Lance was just grateful to have her and her wonderfully positive self in his life. “I like your date ideas. They blow mine out of the water.”

“I don't know, I like yours so far.” Keith shrugged, smiling softly. “Besides, it's kinda hard to cuddle in an airplane when I have to pilot it.”

“Not every second of every date requires cuddles. But we can always make up for it with extra cuddling before and after we go up.”

“I'd like that. As long as dinner is a thing that happens. Or lunch, whenever we end up going.”

“Either works for me. Or both. Maybe we do lunch at our place, go for a flight, and then back to our place for dinner.” A day date would be a pretty solid test for whether or not Keith could handle his girl for longer periods of time.

“Yeah. Maybe a sleepover?” Keith asked hopefully, since obviously they'd have to do it on a weekend.

Lance nodded, lips curving. He was so cute. “I'd like that.”

“Me too, me too!”

Looking at her, Lance's smile turned playful. “You too, you too? Do you want Keith to sleepover one night?”

“Yes!”

“Well, maybe that can happen soon.” Keith glanced at Lance, a light blush on his cheeks. “A sleepover sounds really fun.”

“Yeah, it does.” Lance stole another kiss before taking a step back to lean against the counter. He'd been on his feet for a solid ten hours that day and still had to finish dinner. “You'll have to ask Shiro when you can take a plane up, and let me know so I can get the time off.” And budget it.

“I will. It probably won't be for at least a month or so. Might have to wait til Thanksgiving break, actually… I know they use the planes on the weekends sometimes.” He shrugged again. “I'll figure it out.”

“Just be extra adorable when you say please.”

“It's my cousin. He's gonna see right through me, but…” Laughing, Keith shook his head. “I'll see what I can do.”

“Mm. Maybe we get Sirena to ask. You're pretty, but she's irresistible.”

“‘Kay,” she agreed, laying her cheek against Keith's shoulder.

Smiling fondly, Keith ran his free hand soothingly through her curls. “He definitely won't be able to say no then.”

He was so good with her. Lance's heart swelled, smile softening. “Maybe I'll mention something during my next lesson with him. Just to soften him up a little.” As if Shiro wasn't already one of the most soft-hearted people he knew.

“He's already a giant teddy bear,” Keith argued playfully. “If you soften him up anymore he's gonna melt.”

He smirked, a brow arching finely. “Why would that not be the goal?”

Chuckling, Keith rested his head on top of Sirena’s. “I guess it would be.”

“ _Eres lindo_.” Lance lifted his phone, snapping their picture. They were too cute to resist and, well, he needed to let his family know. A relationship would affect them too, and he was hoping to keep this one for a long, long while. He sent it to their group with a quick, “New boyfriend. Details later” text. He also made it Keith's contact picture.

Upon hearing the shutter sound of the camera, Keith looked over at him with raised brows. “What are you doing?”

“Updating. You and Sirena are just too cute.” And his phone was already blowing up. “I'm tempted to send it to Hunk and Pidge, but I can already feel the ‘I told you so’ looming.”

Keith shrugged his free shoulder, mindful to not jostle the little girl currently using him as a pillow. “They wouldn't be wrong,” he teased.

“Wow, rude. You'd hear it from Pidge too, y'know.”

“That's fine. I know how to block her number.”

“And she probably knows how to forcefully hack your phone remotely, and we both know it.”

Sirena furrowed her brow. “But Pidge is nice?”

“She can be.” Keith smirked. “She's a little bit evil, though.”

Sirena gasped. “Nuh-uh!”

“Baby, remember Megamind? He's a little bit evil, but he's still a good guy.” Lance smiled, reaching out to tug her hair. “Pidge is kinda like that.”

“‘Kay.”

“What's Megamind?”

“He's a blue bad guy who saves the world because he gets glasses an’ a girlfriend an’ his fish friend has a big monkey body. An' the really real bad guy is mean to girls.”

Well, that cleared it _right_ up. Keith smiled good-naturedly anyway. “That sounds like another movie we need to watch on another date night.”

Lance smiled. “We will. If you like classic rock, you'll like most of the soundtrack. Will Ferrell plays Megamind and freaking Brad Pitt is in it and he's actually funny. So something is crazy in this world.”

Keith chuckled. “Yeah, that is pretty crazy. I can't wait to see it, then.”

“I'm sorry that the finest of entertainment I can offer are kids movies.”

“No, it's fine. I haven't seen hardly any of them growing up…”

Lance's heart clenched. “I... They're newer. The DreamWorks ones anyway.” He reached out, taking Sirena and setting her down. “Go pick out a treat, baby. Only one. You can have it for lunch at school tomorrow.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, go ahead. The only rule is no candy.”

“Yes, papi!” She skipped down an aisle and Lance dipped his hands into his pockets.

“She, um... She told me she offered my parents to you, Annie.”

“O-oh…” Keith dropped his gaze, staring at his shoes. He couldn't be mad at her for telling his secret, though. She _was_ three years old.

“She told me it was a secret and made me promise not to tell, if that makes you feel better. I know I'm the one you didn't want her to tell, though, and I get it. I've got secrets too.” Lance stepped closer, cupping his hips to draw him near. “But it's not like I think any less of you. If anything, it's even more impressive that you're working through college the way you are and that you can already fly. I'd be lost without my family, but you... You're amazing, sweetheart.”

He blushed, glancing up to meet Lance's eyes. “M’not that amazing…” he mumbled. “I'm just trying to get by.”

Lance's hands made their way around his waist, linking at the small of his back to hold him. “You've got a place of your own, are top in your class, and you're incredible with my little girl. Not to mention with me. You're amazing.”

“I barely have all of that, though.” Keith took a step closer, resting his forehead on Lance's shoulder. “It's so hard…”

“I know.” Lance kissed his temple, hum soft and the gentle strokes of his back soothing. He could only imagine how hard it would be without a support network. He had his cousin, but to what extent? And was there anyone else at all? Lance would be lost without his family, and he could only sympathize here. And maybe he could try and be a part of Keith's support network. “You should be proud of yourself, Keith.”

“I am… I just don't know where I'm going after school.” He sighed, turning his head so his cheek was against Lance's collarbone, his lips pressed to his skin. “But I'm as proud as I can be right now. I have to be.”

“You've got time to think of what comes later, sweetheart. It's okay.” Lance firmed his touch, strokes become gentle caresses. “Nobody has their lives figured out.”

“I know, but… I feel like I should have _some_ sense.”

“You're in Aviation. Do you... I mean, do you even like to fly? I'm in the program because it's all I've ever wanted. It used to be for the excitement of traveling across the world, but now my goal is something... closer to home. Wherever home ends up being.”

“I- Yeah, of course. I love flying. I just- Sometimes I think about what I could be doing.” He shrugged, unsure how to explain it. “But I want to be close to whatever ends up being home, too.”

“Maybe flight lessons or keep with recreational flights. There are parachuting things in the area if you wanted to stay around here. There are options, Keith. Just get that degree if it's what you want first.”

“It is.” Keith finally lifted his head, gazing at Lance again. “I haven't worked this hard so far to not get it.”

Lance smiled, letting their lips brush. “Then keep going, sweetheart. You'll figure shit out. I'll help you however I can.”

“Thanks, Lance. That- That means a lot.” Keith leaned back in to steal another kiss.

This one lingered, one of Lance's hands sliding up to delve into the hair at the nape of his neck and cling to the soft strands. His lips were soft and warm against his, parting easily to Lance's questing tongue. He explored his mouth greedily, hungrily, taking in every bit of his taste and giving Keith every ounce of affection he had in return.

Moan soft, Keith leaned into him, taking everything that Lance offered. It was nearly overwhelming the amount of feelings that had built up so quickly, but Keith was excited and willing to let them develop further. And even though he was at work and anyone could walk in at any moment, including his manager, Keith deepened the kiss more, clinging to Lance.

On a low groan, Lance let Keith change the angle, let his tongue get chased back into his mouth so the tides turned. He only lapped at Keith's as it explored, the hand in his hair tightening and tugging, light but incessant. If he touched like he kissed, sex was going to be explosive.

Keith had to pull back after a few seconds, panting against Lance's lips. His eyes remained shut while he caught his breath, but as soon as he opened them he was blown away by how big and bright Lance's were _right_ in front of him. “Lance, holy shit…”

“ _Te deseo_ ,” he murmured. “Being alone with you is dangerous.”

“Being alone with _you_ is dangerous,” Keith countered. “I just- I want you.”

“ _Te deseo_ ,” Lance repeated. “It means ‘I want you.’ _Te necesito_. ‘I need you.’” He let his lips roam down to Keith's neck, teeth nipping lightly. “ _Quiero hacerte el amor_ ,” he breathed, hot against Keith's neck. “‘I want to make love to you.’”

Keith sucked in a breath, his fingers flexing where they rested on Lance's hips. “ _Fuck_ ,” he breathed. “I- I want that, too. I want everything with you.”

It couldn't come soon enough. Lance hummed, teeth grazing Keith's pulsepoint, and- “Papi? What are you doing?”

“Playing vampire,” he lied.

She giggled, the bag of chips she'd painstakingly selected crinkling in her grip. “That's silly, papi.”

Blushing, Keith pulled back and glanced down at her. He'd almost forgotten she was there. “It is p-pretty silly, isn't it?”

She nodded, smiling at him. “Did it tickle? You're all red.”

“He just blushes a lot, baby.” Lance hefted her up, taking the bag of chips to make sure it was okay for her to have. “Are these what you want for school?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, good choice.” Lance gave her a gentle bounce, smiling at Keith. “We should probably get out of your mullet soon.”

“Yeah… I'm surprised my manager hasn't come out here.” Or that there haven't been any more customers coming in. Keith would call himself lucky for that. “It just stinks that I won't be able to see my princess again until Wednesday.”

“Papi, that's me, right?”

“Yeah, my baby. That's you.”

Lance smiled and held her out to him. “I think there's time for one more hug.”

Smiling, Keith eagerly wrapped her up in his arms, squeezing her gently to his chest as he kissed the top of her head. “I'll see you in a few days, okay?”

“Three dinners.”

“Yeah, baby. And after we get home, we'll eat. So it'll just be two dinners soon,” Lance soothed.

Sirena clung to Keith's shirt, pouting. “‘Kay.”

Keith gave her another kiss on the forehead. “I'll miss you.”

“I'll miss you too. Papi, I gotta send Keith a g’night, okay?”

Lance smiled, taking her back and dropping the chips on the counter. “Yeah. You can send Keith a special goodnight.”

“I'm looking forward to it.” Keith went back behind the register to ring the chips up, using a trick to take them down to a dollar. He threw the bill Lance gave him into the drawer and smiled at them both. “I guess I'll see you on Wednesday.”

“Yeah.” Though Lance would be seeing him the next day. He grinned. “Later, Keith.”

“Bye, Keef! I love you!”

He blushed all the way up to his ears. It was one thing to respond the same when they were out of earshot of her dad, but he was _right there_. But Keith couldn't _not_ say it back, especially since it was becoming more and more true as time went on. “I love you, too. Bye, Sirena.”

Lance held her a little tighter, absolutely stunned. His daughter was too young and innocent to guard her heart, but Keith... Wow. Surprise melted into a soft, fond expression. Keith really was incredible. “ _Mi novio dulce_. See you later.”

“B-bye, Lance.” A customer coming in saved him from any further embarrassment, but he knew Lance would have something to say to him either tomorrow or on Wednesday when he went over. There was no way he wouldn't.

Sirena waved happily, but let Lance carry her back to the car. After dinner, a game of Go Fish, and a bath, he tied Sirena's hair back into two pigtailed braids. Sitting on the bed with her in his lap as he carefully pleated her dark hair, he helped her maneuver his selfie stick so she could get his phone in a good place to film the goodnight videos. His family was first, Lance tossing out a little peace sign since a hair tie was caught between his teeth.

When it was Keith's turn, her bright smile turned excited. “Hi, Keef! Papi's braiding my hair. He says it's your break time now and my bedtime all in one.”

Lance's smile was obvious despite the hair tie, carefully working the second braid. Behind her, he offered the camera a small shrug.

“So don't stay up all late, okay? I hope you get lots o’ sleep so you can be good in school like papi says I gotta.”

“Sleep’s important,” he defended, taking out the hair tie so he could tie off the braid. Smiling, he kissed the top of her head. “Now he can't sleep if you keep talking to him.”

“Oh, right! I love you, Keef! _Que... que tengas d-dulces..._ Papi, you say it.”

“ _Que tengas dulces sueños_ ,” he murmured. “Goodnight, Keith.”

“ _¡Buenas noches!_ ” Sirena added, and Lance blew Keith a kiss over her head. The video ended there, Lance sending each version to the correct people and finished tucking his baby in for the night.

“Goodnight, _chiquita_. _Te amo, mi hija._ ” He kissed her brow, giving her lion a light peck when she requested it, and straightened. “ _Que tengas dulces sueños_.”

“I will, papi. G’night.”

Smiling, Lance walked out and immediately pulled out his phone.

He'd try, but he couldn't make any promises. Lance smiled at his phone, Keith's contact picture a sweet bundle, and tucked it away. Keith was taking up some of his free time, but he couldn't take up homework time. He was already far enough behind. So he took his laptop and his books out of his bag and got to work. He ended up falling asleep against pages four hours later, but his dreams were bright and sweet and filled with the hopes of a little family of three.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..............................................................................................so we have no excuses for why this is late. We honestly already have this finished (it's been finished since... May? June?), we're just in the "editing" process.
> 
> We're actually still working on fics, always, so there are more coming. We just suck at uploading shit. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Anyway, enjoy Keith and Lance being domestic AF and Sirena being adorable.

By Wednesday, Lance was still giddy with his little romance. He loved stealing kisses at the end of each class, Coran only amused. Lance had told him independently of the relationship when he'd first walked in Monday and the man had been completely unsurprised and supportive as long as they weren't overly blatant about it and it didn't affect his grading. He wasn't stupid enough to risk the job, so it was a good thing Keith was a good student.

It didn't matter on Wednesday night, though. Nothing did because he and his little girl were both buzzing with excitement and would probably be absolutely annoying to anyone else but each other. All she wanted to do was babble about Keith, losing some of her words in excitement and rambling in a broken mix of English, Spanish, and unintelligible mumbles as she followed him around the apartment while he cleaned in a small frenzy. Why did he always wait for the last minute?

“Is your room clean? Never mind. Yours is the only clean room.”

She giggled. “You're messy, papi.”

“Pssh. I'm a very busy man, _chiquita_. It comes with the territory. Do you want to call Keith and ask him when he's coming over?”

She squeaked. “Yes, papi!”

“Okay.” He tugged his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Now do you remember how to call abuela and abuelo?”

“Mmhm!” She pressed the Contacts button and then pointed at the picture of her grandparents. After a little bit more scrolling, she gasped. “That one's me and Keef!”

“That's right, baby.” Lance glanced over the armful of clean laundry he carried, double-checking that she had the right contact. “Go ahead and click on his picture.”

“Then the phone!” she chirped, tapping both buttons. She held it to her ear, following him into his bedroom. “Are you making your bed, papi?”

“Yes, baby.”

“Okay. Is Keef gonna answer soon? It's ring-ring-ring.”

“We'll see.”

Keith answered on the fourth ring, a smile evident in his voice. “Hi, Lance.”

“Papi, he thinks it's you.”

“Probably because it's my phone number, baby. Say hi.”

“Oh. Hi, Keef! I'm not papi, but I'm on his phone, okay?”

Keith laughed. “That's okay, sweetie. I love talking to you.”

“That's good. Papi's making his bed, but he's shaking his head so... He's... not making his bed? ‘Cept he is, so I dunno what I'm s’posed to say. Are you comin’ over soon?”

He laughed again, not sure what he was supposed to make of that. “Yep, I'm leaving my apartment in a few minutes. I'll be there soon.”

“Papi, how many minutes is Keef’s apartment away?”

“About ten minutes.”

“Mmhm, so I'll see you in about fifteen minutes, princess.”

“‘Kay. Are you gonna sleepover?”

“Um. I don't know.” Keith glanced back at his bed, the backpack he'd packed for himself staring at him unassuming. He'd stuffed it with an extra set of clothes, ‘just in case’ he'd told himself. It was probably a little ambitious, but they'd have to see how the night went. “It _is_ a school night…”

“Papi, is Keef allowed to sleepover on a school night?”

Lance looked up from the corner of the mattress where he was struggling to hook the fitted sheet. He hoped so. Even if they didn't end up doing anything, he'd love to just have him over. “If he wants to, so we'll see.”

“Papi said you can.”

“Okay,” Keith replied, chuckling softly. “We'll see.”

“Papi, he said ‘we'll see.’ He sounds like you.”

“Then he sounds smart.” And probably just as hopeful. Lance smiled, straightening. “Tell him bye now, sweetie. After I'm done, we'll do your hair.”

“Up!”

“Okay, I can pull it up.”

She gasped, bouncing happily. “Yay! Papi's gonna put my hair up, Keef. I have to say bye.”

“Okay, sweetie. I can't wait to see you. Just a little bit longer.”

“Okay. I love you, Keef. Bye!”

“I love you, too. Bye, princess.”

Sirena waved even though she was on the phone and hung up, smiling as Lance whipped the sheet up so it would float gently onto the bed to get straightened. “Papi, where's Keef gonna sleep?”

“Um. Probably- probably my bed.” Hopefully. Maybe. “Is that okay with you?”

“Uh-huh. If he doesn't got a sleeping bag, that's okay.”

Lance stared at her for a few seconds before laughing. God, he loved this girl. “Thank you, baby. I'm glad you feel like that. Now let's go do your hair.”

\----

A little bit longer than ten minutes later, Keith knocked on the door to Lance's apartment. His bag was slung over his shoulder, and he shifted his arm to make it slip up farther. He looked around, shuffling his feet as he waited for Lance to come let him in.

His voice was heard first, a sharp “Do _not_!” going through the door, followed by a much closer whine.

“But Papi-”

“What's the rule about opening the door?” It was another couple of seconds before the door swung open, Sirena tucked behind Lance's legs. “Hey, man.”

“Hi, Keef!”

“Hey, Lance.” Keith smiled, squatting down to Sirena’s level. “Hi, princess.”

Lance stepped aside so she could surge forward, arms winding around Keith's neck on a happy squeal. “ _Princesita._ ”

“I picked up an extra shift yesterday, so she stayed with one of her aunts. They told her little princess in Spanish.”

“Wait, say it again?” Keith requested, hoisting Sirena up into a hug. “A little slower. I wanna learn that one.”

“ _¡Princesita!_ ”

“That wasn't slower, baby. _Princesita_.”

“ _Princes-Princesita_. S’that right?”

“Yeah, it's pretty good.” Grinning, Lance stepped back to let Keith in and closed the door behind him. “We'll get you to speak Spanish soon enough. You and Sirena can learn together.”

“I'd like that a lot, actually. It'd be nice to be able to know what you guys are saying about me,” Keith joked.

“Mostly good things,” he teased, leaning in to steal a quick kiss. He'd seen him earlier, but this was different. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had someone besides a close friend or family in the apartment. “I set Sirena up in the kitchen with her workbook from school and was about to start the mozzarella if you're up to starting now. I can give you the tour later.”

“That works. I'm curious to see how you make mozzarella at home.” Especially since it was lactose free and he'd be able to eat it, which he was also excited about.

“Very carefully.” Lance guided him through the small living room into the dining room/kitchen. The kitchen table was pushed up against the carpet marking the separation of kitchen and living room to maximize space. “Except not really. It's literally just milk, citric acid, rennet, and whey. It's thirty minutes, tops.”

“That sounds really easy, actually. I'll help you so I can learn.”

“It won't be hard, I promise.” Lance stopped at the table and withdrew one of the chairs to reveal a little gray cat. She looked up, blinking her gold eyes. “And this is Blue in her favorite spot, so avoid this chair where possible.”

Keith laughed, reaching down to let the feline sniff his hand before gently petting her head. “She's adorable. My little Red is gonna be jealous that I was around another cat.”

“Hopefully she forgives you.” Lance smiled, watching him for a minute. “Maybe... Maybe we can try introducing them sometime. So you don't have to leave her home.”

“Yeah…” Keith smiled. “Yeah, we could try that. Red is pretty chill.”

“So’s Blue. I've just never shown her another cat before.”

Sirena tugged on Keith's shirt. “You got a kitty?”

“Mmhm.” Keith nodded, kissing her forehead. “She looks kinda like Blue, but she's orange and has bright pink toes.”

“Pink toes?!” she squealed, giggling. “Blue doesn't got pink toes! Can I see Red?”

“I'll bring her over someday soon,” he promised. “If her and Blue like each other, she can stay for a sleepover.”

“‘Kay!”

“We can trial it. Blue gets a bath every week and she has her own bath towel. It smells like her, so maybe you can take it for a couple of days before they meet so Red can get used to her scent.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Keith gave the little kitten a couple more scratches behind her ear before stepping further into the kitchen. “So what kind of schoolwork do you have to do tonight?”

“Math and colors.” She pointed at the papers on the table, the math problems all one plus a number one through nine. They were in a bubble letter format for coloring and she had already answered two of the problems because Lance had been helping her learn basic math already. “When I get done, I got a new color book. It's got more aminals.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe after dinner we can color some more like we did the other day at your papi’s work.”

“‘Kay. Oh! Papi, can I go to my room?”

“Okay. You have two minutes.” Lance dug out ingredients from his cabinet, opening the fridge for the goats’ milk.

Keith set her down with a kiss to her cheek, smiling after her as she ran from the room. “What do you think she's doing?” he asked Lance, stepping closer to him.

“I don't know, but I try to give her a time limit when she gets out of my sight. She's been known to try climbing bookshelves in an effort to both retrieve a high toy and give me a heart attack.”

Laughing softly, Keith waited until Lance had set everything down on the counter, gently grabbing a wrist and spinning him around. “Well, if you gave her two minutes…” he murmured suggestively, staring at Lance's lips. “We should put that time to good use.”

Lance laughed, free hand sliding up to delve into his hair. “I've never kissed someone in here before, so I'm up for that.”

“I'd be honored to be the first.” Keith smiled and then finally leaned in, laying his lips over Lance's in a sweet kiss.

Lance left his hand in Keith's, but pressed closer. His fingers softly kneaded the back of his neck, lips parting under Keith's on a soft murmur of his name. If he let himself dream, it would be too easy to imagine this happening more. Every day. Stealing kisses when they had a child-free minute, homework and crayons on the table and dinner waiting to be made.

Keith let his tongue trail along his bottom lip before slipping inside Lance's mouth on a quiet moan. Being in Lance's apartment, in his space, just made everything feel a thousand times better and more intimate. He knew right then and there that he'd definitely be spending the night, even if they kept it PG-rated.

On a soft moan, Lance gave Keith's tongue needy little kitten-licks. He couldn't get enough of him. His taste, the feel of him. He was so lean, slotting perfectly against him as if he belonged there.

Stepping closer, Keith placed both hands firmly on Lance's hips and pressed him up against the counter. The clock was running down on how much time they had left until Sirena came back into the room, but Keith just couldn't stop. Couldn't stop touching him, kissing him, just being around him. It was surprising because he'd never felt this level of attraction and connection to anyone ever before.

Lance broke it first, gripping Keith's hair when his mouth just kept going over his jaw. “Stay,” he breathed. “Stay tonight.”

“I will,” Keith promised. “I-” He paused to nip at Lance's neck. “I packed my bag. Clothes… Toothbrush… I'm staying.”

Lance clung to him, the words soothing a fear he hadn't even realized he'd been carrying. “Okay. That's- God, I love your mouth.”

“I love yours, too,” he replied breathlessly, trailing his kisses back up to Lance's mouth. This one was even firmer, the knowledge that they were going to be spending the night in the same bed making him needy.

Lance moaned again, wanting nothing more than to kiss him for hours. But they both heard the pounding of little feet seconds later and he ended it instead. “We can't- We can't go all the way tonight, but... Maybe something. _Maybe_.” Just to take the edge off because Keith seemed as needy as he was.

“M-maybe. Probably.” Keith couldn't resist pecking him on the lips again, but pulled away as soon as Sirena skidded into the kitchen.

Lance missed him immediately, but didn't try to draw him back. He only smiled at Sirena, never wanting her to feel like she was a bother or an interruption. “What did you want to get, baby?”

“My frame! So Keef can do your name too. ‘Cause I got two for me.” She held up the frame, the calligraphy Keith had done the previous Sunday already placed alongside the napkin they'd made Saturday.

It stirred his heart, smile softening. “That's really sweet, _chiquita_. Thank you.”

Keith smiled, nodding. “I'd be happy to do your name, too, Lance.”

Cheeks pink, Lance nodded. “I wouldn't say no. But homework first, baby. Keith is going to make mozzarella with me so we'll both be here if you need help.”

“Okay, papi.”

“You'll do a good job, sweetie, I know you will. You're very smart,” Keith praised.

Sirena giggled, climbing into her booster seat thanks to the little step stool Lance had for her. She set the frame up carefully next to her before she grabbed a crayon. “Thank you, Keef!”

Lance smiled, straightening from the counter and turning towards the supplies. “So I don't make this all the time because it does take a whole gallon of milk, and I use goat because it isn't ultra high pasteurized like Lactaid. When I tried, I just ended up with, like, gritty soup.”

Keith chuckled, stepping up next to him. “That sounds disgusting. Hopefully you've perfected your technique.”

“Oh, yeah.” He'd cried over it because it had been the cherry on top of a shitty week, but it had also been more than a year earlier. “I've spent a year and a half becoming a master.” He plucked up two small bowls. “Here. A cup of water in this bowl, quarter cup in the other. I'm gonna dump the milk into the pot and warm it up.”

“Alright.” Lance had already pulled out the measuring cups and had them lined up on the counter, so he grabbed the glass one and measured up a cup, dumping it into the designated bowl. The other got the quarter cup and then Keith glanced back at Lance. “What next?”

“Quarter teaspoon of rennet into here.” He added the dollop into the quarter cup of water. “Stir that. I'm adding one and a half teaspoons of citric acid to this one.” He stirred quickly, just using a small fork, and added it to the milk. “It's only gonna take a few minutes, but this needs to get to ninety degrees. Then the rennet gets added and you let it sit off the heat for about five minutes so it can thicken.”

“And then what?” It almost seemed too simple, even though two of those ingredients weren't something Keith had in his kitchen now, but if it _was_ that easy…

“You cut it into curds. The milk should set into something like thick pudding, so you take the big knife Sirena isn't allowed to touch and slice the whole thing into a grid. It gets heated to one-oh-five with occasional stirring until the curds separate from the whey. Whey’s yellow, so it's easy to tell it apart from the curds. And if you've ever wondered what eating curds and whey meant in that nursery rhyme, it's cheese and a watered down skim milk.”

“Ew, no.” Keith chuckled. “Well, I can cut it if you want. I'm pretty good around a knife.”

“Sure. And don't say ew. Whey is a protein and people actually pay big money for it for their shakes and smoothies. Making this ends up with three and a half quarts, which is nuts. I usually pass it to Hunk since he likes it in some of his sauces.”

“Still ew. I would never pay for it.”

“Well, it normally comes powdered. But whatever. As long as it doesn't get thrown away, it's fine. And it goes in her smoothies when I'm out of stuff, and she likes it.” He plucked up his thermometer and tested the milk. “Ninety. Go ahead and add the rennet.”

Keith poured the mixture in, watching as Lance stirred it in carefully. “So this is basically just a chemical experiment in your kitchen,” he observed, amused.

“Yup. And as long as I don't stir too much or knead too much, it's usually a very successful chemical experiment.” He covered the pot, taking it off the heat and setting a timer for five minutes. “How's the homework, _chiquita_?”

“ _Es bueno, papi_. I got a whole three problems all done. I just gotta color them in real good.”

“What colors are you gonna use?” Keith asked, walking over to see what she was doing.

“A lot.” She picked up blue to color in the top one. “I'm gonna do red and blue and purple for this ‘cause one and one is two and red and blue is purple.” She paused and looked up. “Right?”

Keith smiled, nodding. “That's right, good job. And my favorite color is red, your papi’s is blue, and yours is…” He trailed off, waiting for her to answer.

“Purple!” she gasped. “Papi, we go together!”

“Yeah, we do.” Lance grinned, wandering to the table to check her work. One plus zero, plus one, and plus two were the three she'd completed so far. Her answers were written with shaky lines, but they were right. And they were all in purple, so he was willing to bet the bubble numbers would all be red and blue. He'd have to get her a new dollar pack of crayons to replace those two shades soon. “You're doing really good so far, baby. I'm proud of you.”

“I gotta use my fingers.”

“That's okay. That's why we have them.”

Keith ruffled her hair, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “I still have to use mine sometimes.” Usually for figuring out how many days are between dates, but it was basically the same thing. “And your papi’s right. You're doing a great job so far.”

“Thank you, Keef!” Buzzing with pride, she filled in the numbers happily.

Lance found Keith's hand, lifting it to his lips. He appreciated the support as much as she did. Math had never come easy to him, so he'd wanted to make sure she got every bit of help as soon as possible in the subject. There was a lot of math involved in being a pilot, and he was struggling with it. He didn't want her to struggle in her future dreams, whatever they ended up being.

Keith squeezed his hand, smiling. “If you ever need any help, you just let me know, okay? Both of you,” he finished quietly.

“Okay, Keef!”

Behind her, heart melting, Lance tugged him into a hug. He was dangerous. Completely dangerous, if only because Lance knew he could get used to this. He'd wanted someone for so long. Not because he couldn't or wouldn't take care of his daughter alone, but just to have a partner. To have support and love. Everything he'd expected to have all the way until Sirena’s mother had walked out of the hospital alone. She'd broken his heart in a big way, but she hadn't been able to crush all of his hopes. She'd given him fears, though, and they were all at war inside of him. “Thank you,” he murmured.

“Of course. I mean it, Lance. If you need anything, I'll try my best to help out. I just… I didn't have that growing up, and I don't want to see you struggle.”

He let out a huff of a laugh, though there was little humor in it. “I'm getting used to struggling.”

“You don't have to. Not now.” Keith pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I don't want you to have to.”

It was too fast. Too fast to feel this way and way too fast to trust, but Lance couldn't stop himself. He'd never learned how to pump the brakes on emotions, but he was smart enough now to keep them to himself. He had to be for the girl at the table. But he still took another moment to soak in the sweet promises and even sweeter possibilities, holding Keith close before letting him go. He had an extra helping hand for now, but there wasn't any promise that this was permanent. He still had to be used to the struggle, but he'd happily take Keith's outstretched hand when he could. “I appreciate it, _cariño_.”

“Mmhm.” The timer going off nearly startled him, looking back towards the stove and then back at Lance. “Okay, so what's next?”

“You get to impress me with your knife skills.” Smiling, Lance drew him to the pot again and uncovered it to check the set. He wiggled the pot a little to show him. “Do you see the little wobble? It's like a cheesecake. This is the consistency you want. So take this knife. It's my biggest, so I know it'll get all the way to the bottom.”

“Okay. And you said cut it into a grid, right?” At Lance's nod, he took the knife and turned to the pot, quickly slicing through the concoction in an easy, neat grid. “Like that?”

“Perfect.” Lance hefted the pot back onto the heat, stirring gently as they warmed. “So now I'm waiting for this to reach one-oh-five. I'm not over-stirring here because I want the curds to clump together more and separate naturally from the whey. When it reaches temp, I'll take it off the heat and stir some more. Then I'll ladle the curds out and package the whey for Hunk.”

“Okay.” Keith pointed at a box on the counter. “What are the gloves for?”

“Folding the curds after the first microwave session. I mean, if you don't have a microwave, it's fine. I just prefer to use it. My microwave was my biggest, most necessary splurge when I moved out here.”

“No, I have one. It's how I make my frozen dinners, remember?” he joked.

“Fair. And how you'll heat up leftovers I bring you when you can't come visit. Hopefully, you like my cooking enough to come back.”

“I like your cooking, papi.”

He laughed. “Thanks, baby.”

“If it's better than frozen, which I'm guessing it probably is, then I definitely will.”

“I'll do my best. Burgers and mac isn't exactly mind-blowing.” Lance smiled at him. “If you want to look in the freezer, I've got some vegetables. She'll eat anything that's in there even though she doesn't think she will. So you can pick whatever.”

“Okay, cool.” There wasn't a _huge_ selection, but there was a bag of mixed veggies that Keith pulled out and placed on the counter. “How about a little bit of everything?”

“Perfect.” Lance already had the pot back off the heat, stirring gently to encourage the curds to separate. “Do you see the yellow glops in there? That's the whey.”

“Yeah, that looks gross,” Keith teased. “But I guess there are weirder things to wanna eat.”

Lance laughed, bumping their hips together. “It's genuinely not as bad as it looks, which isn't saying much. It looks like... snot. But whatever.”

“Uh, _yeah_.” But Keith laughed and leaned closer to see what Lance was doing next. “And so what happens after this part? When does the microwave come in?”

“In two minutes, I'm going to ladle the curds into a bowl. Microwave for one minute, drain off remaining whey, then fold the curds a few times while wearing the gloves. They're a little sticky at that point and a lot gross.”

“Oh, okay. I'll watch you this time, but next time I think I'll try it.”

“Okay. This is a once a week thing for me. It'll keep that long in the fridge. Yesterday, I did caprese sandwiches with what we had left and a soup.”

Keith hummed, enjoying the company and watching Lance work. “Caprese is the one with the tomatoes and… is it oregano?”

“Basil. I toasted the bread and grilled the mozzarella slices. The soup was tomato basil because my tomatoes were going bad.” Lance enjoyed the company just as much, his dinner preparations usually silent but for Sirena’s occasional questions. She focused more on her homework than Lance ever had. “Nothing too special, but I made it. So it was perfect.”

“I don't know, that sounds pretty special to me.” Keith placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I mean, you _made_ cheese and then just came up with a way how to use it. That's amazing.”

Lance ducked his head to hide his blush and search for his slotted spoon. Keith had seen right through the brag. “I'm always amazing, _cariño_. It's part of my charm.” He quietly scooped up the curds, transferring them to a microwave safe bowl. “Making sure my girl is eating right in the process is a bonus.”

Keith knew just from the short time they'd been together so far that Lance would do anything for her, probably before he even did anything for himself. He hummed, watching Lance scoop out the curds. “She looks really healthy, so I'd say you're doing a really good job with that too.”

“I just want her to be happy,” he murmured. “I never want her to feel like she's less just because...” Because her mother had taken one look at her and been disappointed. “Because she only has me. One day, math is gonna go beyond single digits and I'm going to have to explain why I'm so much younger than the parents of her friends.”

Keith nodded solemnly, squeezing his shoulder. “Yeah, but there are a lot of people who got pregnant really young, too… But I get what you mean.”

“Hopefully, I've got at least a decade before she starts to ask questions.” Lance smiled, kissing Keith's cheek before breaking away to pop the bowl into the microwave for a minute.

“I'm sure it'll be fine.” Keith watched closely when Lance took the bowl back out and carefully poured off the excess whey that had been produced. Then he put the gloves on. “Oh, so now you, what, just… get in there?”

“Yeah.” Lance smiled, standing to the side of the bowl so Keith could see how he folded it. “It's kind of like trying to work with cottage cheese. But you don't want to do this for too long or the temperature will drop too much.” When he was finished, he put the bowl back in for thirty seconds. “Can you grab the thermometer? I need it to reach one thirty-five.”

Keith plucked it up off the counter, handing it over. “And it doesn't need constant heat? Just get it up to that temp?”

“Yeah. If it doesn't reach it, I won't be able to stretch them out. Believe it or not, we're almost done.”

“Really? That- That was really easy.”

Lance laughed. “I know, right? I'm gonna add a teaspoon of kosher salt to this, and then stretch and shape it. Then it's done. I just need to separate it how I want for the week. I'm making the mac tonight, lasagna tomorrow...” He broke off to check the temperature of the curds and smiled, carrying the bowl to the counter. He tossed the salt in and began to knead it in to incorporate it into the white curds, the mass finally resembling mozzarella cheese. “Chicken and ham are on sale this week, so I'll pick both up Sunday to make chicken cordon bleu rolls. I can usually get three meals out of each batch.”

“And it's all lactose free. That's really awesome.” Keith leaned over while Lance's hands were busy, kissing him on the cheek. “You'll definitely have to let me try some of that dinner.”

“I will,” he promised, cheeks going pink. “And maybe... Maybe if you've got a free night here and there, you can drop by. Sirena and I'd both love to have you.”

Keith nodded, smiling softly. “Yeah… Yeah, I'd love to come over.”

“When you don't, I'll bring you leftovers. You can save a little on your grocery budget.”

“Well, I wouldn't want you to have to budget for me, though…”

“I always make too much, Keith. Her stomach’s little, but all my recipes feed nine. It's hard enough doing everything two-thirds smaller, so my grocery budget wouldn't change.” Lance's smile turned playful. “And maybe you'll take us to dinner now and then with all the money you'll be saving.”

Keith smiled back, nodding. “I think I could do that. It'll be your guys’ choice, though.”

“We're easy. Well, okay, that's a lie. We're _trying_ to be easy. I'm a notoriously picky eater and she's little. That's part of why I'm a little strict when she says she'll try something.” They ate what they could afford.

“Right. Then I'll definitely let you pick ‘cause I'll eat basically anything.”

“Okay. As long as it has a relatively traditional kids menu, she's fine and I can find food on a menu. Ooh! Or Cuban. Anything in the Spanish lane of food is good for me.”

Keith chuckled and kissed his cheek again. “Okay. I don't think I've ever had Cuban food before.”

“Oh my god. Do you like spice?”

“Yeah, a lot.”

“Then I'll make you something. Probably next week. I still have to finish my menu anyway and it's been a while since I snagged one of my mom's traditional recipes.” Lance smiled, splitting the mozzarella into three balls. He took the gloves off and grabbed cling wrap, binding two of the three balls for storage. “And we're done.”

“That's it?” When Lance simply nodded, Keith smiled. “That doesn't seem so hard. And we can just eat it now? We don't have to wait for it to cool down or anything?”

Lance cut off a smooth strip and halved it. “Nope. Here.” He gave half to Keith and took the other to Sirena. “Here, baby. How did Keith and I do?”

She took a bite and nodded. “It's good, papi!”

Keith took a tentative bite of his, and ended up stuffing the whole thing into his mouth. It was amazing, considering they'd made it in less than an hour. “This is so good. It's tangy, but… yeah, really good.”

“It's the lack of preservatives and, y’know, goat milk. The biggest secret is not to work it too much because the more you stretch it, the less it'll melt.” Lance put the extra cheese in the fridge, exchanging it for a block of cheddar. “So I'm gonna start the mac. How are we on homework, _chiquita_?”

“Almost done, papi. I gotta do one plus nine, but that's a lot.”

Smiling fondly, Keith went back to the table and knelt down next to her, observing her work. “Are they just going up? Have you done one plus… seven yet?”

“Yes. It's eight.” She slanted him a look. “Right?”

“Mmhm. So then what's one plus eight?”

She shuffled her papers and pointed. “Nine?”

“Yep. And then you just have to add one more to that.” Keith smiled, wiggling his fingers in front of her. “How many?”

She thought for a moment, gasping when it clicked. “Ten! One plus nine is ten?”

“Yeah, that's right!” Keith kissed her forehead, watching as she carefully wrote down a one and a zero. “Good job!”

“Papi, look! I did it! Keef helped.”

“That's very nice of him, baby. If you ask nicely, he might check your answers while I get dinner ready.”

She scooted her stack of papers closer, smile bright and eyes hopeful. “Will you look? Pretty please?”

“Of course.” He skimmed through them, his smile widening with each correct answer she'd gotten. “These are all perfect, princess. Now you just have to color the rest of them?”

“Uh-huh. Will you color wif me?” Her lashes fluttered much like Lance's. “I'm lonely.”

“Please,” Lance added from the stove, lips curved in amused pride.

“Please,” Sirena echoed.

Keith chuckled, but nodded and rose enough to pull out the chair next to her, and sat in it. “Are we still doing blue and red?”

“Uh-huh. But this is homework an’ I'm s’posed to do it all alone,” she explained, Lance's mouth closing on his own protest. Pride buzzed stronger. “So you can color in my new book!”

“Oh, okay, no problem.” Keith waited patiently for Sirena to hand the book to him, and then opened it up to see what he wanted to color. He found a page with a lion on it, smiling at the paper. “Are you done with the purple?”

“Uh-huh. An’ you can share blue an’ red if you want. That's okay.”

“Okay. Thank you, sweetie.” Laughing, Keith nabbed the purple crayon and started coloring in the lion's mane.

Lance smiled as he listened to them color, keeping busy with starting dinner. It was different to have someone else listening to his girl chatter about her day at school and whatever else came to her mind. She peppered Keith with questions about his hair, his gloves, his favorite school subjects. It was like listening to an adorable interview, and he appreciated that Keith answered her and gave her the sort of patient attention she needed. It wasn't anywhere near a traditional date, but it felt special. It felt scarily, wonderfully, like family.

When everything was nearly done, the vegetables in a serving bowl and the mac and cheese staying warm in the oven, he got down three plates. “Almost done, _chiquita_.”

“Clean table! We gotta have a clean table, Keef.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He chuckled, helping her pick up the crayons now littering the table and getting her homework put neatly away. When they were finished, Keith kissed the top of head. “There, all done.”

“We're done, papi.”

“I heard. Keith, you can come fix your plate. Everything's ready.” Lance smiled, setting the smallest plate in front of Sirena. “Eat your vegetables.”

“All of them?”

“Yes. Keith and I are going to eat all of ours, so you too.”

She sighed, but ignored the vegetables for a moment and stuck her fork in the mac. He hadn't said to eat them first, after all. He gave her ponytail a tug, amused. “After dinner, you can color more while we watch the movie.”

“‘Kay!”

Keith smiled, getting up to go to the stove and fix his plate of food. He took a little scoop of everything, but went back in for another spoon of veggies. “It looks great, Lance. Better than what I would have had.”

“As long as it tastes as good as it looks, I'll be happy.”

“I'm sure it does.” They sat at the table once they'd gotten their share of food, Keith grabbing up his fork to shovel a bite of mac’n’cheese into his mouth. It was glorious, and he was only barely able to hold back a soft moan of delight at the taste. “It does. This is really good, Lance.”

He grinned, dropping across from him. It was a small table, so he was able to rub his foot against Keith's leg with ease. “Thanks. Do you like it, _chiquita_?”

“Yup! It's good, papi.” She smiled, a smudge of cheese at the corner of her mouth. Lance didn't wipe it away just yet, but he filed it away to make sure she did at the end of the meal. “I like burgers.” Hers was missing the bottom bun and was cut into four pieces. She stuck her fork into one and took a big bite, mustard joining the smears on her mouth.

“I know, baby. Don't forget your napkin.”

Keith chuckled, tempted to reach over and help, but he'd found out the hard way to just let Sirena handle it. It was adorable, though, and he couldn't stop smiling through a bite of his own burger. “God, Lance, these are really good too. If food is this good here all the time, I'll definitely have to come over more often.”

She gasped. “Will you?!”

Lance chuckled, stroking down her ponytail. “He can come whenever he wants. Just text me in case my schedule isn't changing for whatever reason. I've been trying to pick up every shift I can before her birthday.” And now Keith's.

“Okay, will do. And, yeah, sweetie, I'll try to come whenever I can.”

“‘Kay! Can we play a game next time?”

“We'll see. You'll have to show Keith what games we have.” Lance caught Keith's leg between his ankles, pleased and a little excited by the idea of having him over more.

Keith smirked at him, rubbing his free foot up the side of Lance's leg. “I love to play games, so you can show me what you have and we'll pick one out for next time.”

“Can I now?”

“Eat first, baby. You can show him while I get the movie started.”

She glanced at Keith and Lance could see the mischievous wheels turning. She really was just like him. “And popcorn?”

“There might be popcorn.”

“Yay!”

“I wouldn't say no to some popcorn.”

“Good. It's air-popped, so I just add the butter and flavor myself.” It was better for her and it was the only popcorn she'd ever had, so she didn't know it was more plain than what her peers enjoyed. “She likes white cheddar.”

“And kettle corn.”

He arched a brow, lips curving. “Is that a hint?” he wondered, making her giggle behind her fork.

“Noooo.”

“Uh-huh. We'll do kettle corn next time, baby.” They were out, but she didn't need to know that.

“Well, I like white cheddar, too,” Keith inputted. “Besides, what's more cheese tonight?”

Lance sent him a grateful smile. He really was taking so well to being supportive. “I'll bet you're not used to it at all.”

“I'm definitely not, but it's all cheese I can eat, so that's awesome.” Keith returned a small smile, rubbing his foot calmly up and down his leg.

Cheeks pink, Lance caught his foot between his calves to get him to stop. “I won't make anything she can't eat, so you're good. We're going to try i-c-e c-r-e-a-m next weekend.”

Keith stuck his tongue out, but stopped moving his foot. “That sounds like fun. I'll come over and help.”

“Okay. Let me know when you're off and we'll work around it.”

“Alright. Schedules come out on Friday, so I'll text you.”

Lance let his leg go so he could run his foot up Keith's leg. “Okay. Hopefully you don't get sick of us anytime soon since you're planning to spend so much time with us.”

“No, papi, we're great.”

Lance smiled at her, warm and full of love. “Yes, we are.”

“I don't think I could ever get sick of you guys,” Keith said truthfully. “Definitely not of you, Sirena.”

“I know ‘cause you love me.”

He smiled at her, nodding. “I do love you, sweetie.”

Lance leaned back in his seat, feeling his heart wobble. Keith looked at Sirena like she was the whole world. No one outside of his family had ever looked at her like that, and he didn't know how to handle that. He didn't have any barriers built up against that. He was going to fall in love with Keith before long, and he knew it. It was one of the scariest things he'd ever had to face.

But there was nothing that said they'd break up. No guarantee that said they'd be together also meant there was no guarantee that they'd separate. They could be something, the dream he'd locked away peeking through. He reached out, fingers running over the back of Keith's hand. “I don't think we'll get sick of you either.”

“Good, ‘cause it's gonna be really hard to get rid of me. I'm afraid you're stuck dealing with me.”

Lance laced their fingers. “Promise?”

Keith squeezed his hand, smiling. “Yeah. I promise.”

Oh, yeah, he was going to fall in love with Keith sooner rather than later. “You just want me for my food,” he teased.

“I want you for a lot more than just your food, Lance.” Eventually everything if Lance would be willing to give it, but they'd take it one step at a time. Which was terrifying when Keith thought about it, but he’d already fallen for Sirena. How much further behind could her father be? “But the food is a definite plus.”

“My food and my daughter,” he teased. “I'm on to you, _chico lindo_.”

Keith laughed. “That's okay. I'll just have to see how much more I can add to that list.”

“My taste in movies. Are you excited to show Keith _Moana_?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes!”

“I'm excited to see it. If you like it so much, I'm sure I will, too.”

“We'll find out after someone eats her vegetables.”

Sirena sighed, leaning back in her seat unhappily. “But why, papi?”

“They'll help you grow big and healthy, baby. And Keith picked them out.”

“He's right, you know. You want to be big and strong and healthy, don't you?” Keith reached over and pinched her cheek, smiling. “How about I eat mine with you?”

“Um... You got lots.”

“Because he likes them, and so do you. You ate peas yesterday and corn the day before that.”

She poked a small green bean suspiciously and, though Lance wasn't going to admit it, his green beans weren't going to be eaten. “What are these?”

Keith chuckled, spearing one with his own fork and eating it. “They're green beans. You should like them, they're really good.” He ate another one, nudging her arm encouragingly. “Go on and just try one.”

Since Keith had, she did too. It wasn't bad at all, so she speared two more onto her fork and ate those too. “They're good, papi. And Keef.”

Gross. “I'm glad, _chiquita_. Eat up.”

Keith shot Lance a small, triumphant grin and scooped up some more of the whole mix to shove into his mouth. “And you like the corn too, right?” he asked after he'd swallowed. “And peas and carrots?”

“Carrots?”

Lance chuckled, carefully shuffling his green beans out of the pile. “The orange bits are carrots, baby.”

“Oh! I like carrots.” She tried to get a scoop on her fork twice, vegetables falling through the slots each time before they could get anywhere near her mouth. Brows furrowing, she switched to her spoon and got a mouthful that way. They weren't bad at all, so she munched happily. “Kitty can't have vegetables. Papi says they're bad.”

“He's right. Cats have to eat meat. Like your burger, but you shouldn't feed that to her.”

“How come?”

“I made it the people way. Blue can only have it if I make it the kitty way.” Lance stroked her hair. “Are you trying to make sure the things I tell you are right?” She shook her head, smile bright. She only giggled when Lance poked her nose. “You'd better not be. I'm always right.”

“I don't know about _that_ ,” Keith teased, smirking playfully. “I mean, you're smart, but… Eh.”

Lance gasped. “Wow, rude.”

Sirena giggled. “It's okay, papi. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby, thank you. I feel much better.”

Keith chuckled, head shaking fondly. “You guys are too cute.”

“The cutest!” Sirena agreed with a giggle that turned into a squeal when Lance reached over and tickled her side. “Papi!”

“What? I'm making you cuter.”

“No, papi!” She stuck her tongue out at him, and he returned it with a soft laugh.

“I don't know, that was definitely cuter…” Keith ruffled her hair. “And that was cute, too. Everything about you is cute.”

She smiled, bobbing her head to whip her ponytail. “Thank you, Keef!”

Smiling, Lance was content with their dinner. Sirena didn't complain about her food again and didn't notice that Lance's green beans stayed untouched since he kept his plate out of her sight when he rose and plucked up hers. “Go wash your hands now.”

“‘Kay! Then movie?”

“Mmhm. You can get two friends and your coloring book after your hands are clean.”

“Yay!” she cheered, wiggling out of her seat and scampering away.

Lance waited for her to be gone before scraping the green beans into the trash and setting both plates in the dishwasher. “Vegetables are a nightly conversation.”

Keith laughed, putting his empty plate in the dishwasher along with the others. “I can tell. I'm glad I could help her actually eat them, though.”

“You're still new, so your opinion is still valued. You see how mine's starting to be questioned.” Lance packaged the cooled whey, putting it in the fridge to get to Hunk the next day. “I don't need her rebellious stage to start at three. I'll die.”

“No, that wouldn't be good.” With both of their hands free, Keith stepped into Lance's space again, drawing him into a kiss. “I'll help however I can. As much as you'll let me.”

“You're doing great so far.” Lance was happy to wrap his arms around Keith and keep him close. “This is definitely the easy part, though. When she listens, she's great. I mean, we don't have a lot of bad days. I keep her on a routine so she knows how her little life is gonna go. It's when we deviate that she starts to get antsy, so anytime the plans change, I have to make it exciting for her. If she's not happy, she gets pouty and difficult.”

“Sounds like a handful. But I think you're incredible for handling it all on your own. She's amazing and is lucky to have you as her father.”

Sigh soft, Lance laid his brow against Keith's. “Thank you, Keith. I'm... I'm sorry you couldn't have someone in your life. You didn't deserve to grow up alone.”

“I…” Keith swallowed, closing his eyes. He shook his head, wrapping his arms around Lance's waist to hold him tight. “I still haven't told you everything.”

Lance kissed his temple, pressing their cheeks together. “Do you... do you want to?”

“I do, but… Later. I don't- I don't want to ruin the movie or anything…”

“Okay. That's fine, Keith.” Lance rubbed his back gently and kissed his cheek. “Don't stress about it.”

“M’not. I won't. But I want you to know.” Eventually.

“Okay. There... There are things I want you to know too.” Eventually. If Keith was really going to stay, Lance wanted him to know it all. “Help me finish up in here? She'll be done picking her toys of choice soon.”

“Yeah. What do you want me to do?”

“Just load the dishwasher. I'm going to get out the air popper to make popcorn so it's ready before Sirena gets impatient.”

“I can do that.” Keith stole one last kiss before he went to the sink, turning the water on to rinse some of the dishes before they went into the dishwasher. It felt incredibly domestic, Lance getting the air popper out and setting up a small popcorn station, and Keith at the sink, but he found he didn't mind it. He was enjoying it, actually, and was able to pretend like this was his family. Maybe one day it could be, as scary of a thought that was.

At least it was a shared scary thought, though neither of them said it aloud. With one bowl full of popcorn, Sirena ran in holding her lion and a stuffed fox, waving them excitedly. “Papi, are we gonna watch now?”

“Do you have everyone ready in front of the TV?”

She pursed her lips. “No.”

“Then we can't watch now. Get everything ready first.”

She ran back out to put her stuffed animals on the floor exactly where she wanted, then came back in to take her crayons and book off the table. “I'm almost ready, papi!”

“Okay, baby. Popcorn’s almost done.”

“Anything else you want me to do?” Keith asked, turning away from the dishwasher once he'd closed it.

“You could let her show you the board games. It'd be a good distraction.”

“Sounds good.” Keith kissed him on the cheek before he left, finding Sirena in the living room arranging her coloring book and crayons next to her animals. Smiling, he squatted down next to her. “You wanna show me the board games you have? We'll pick one out for next time while your papi finishes the popcorn.”

She gasped, forgetting about the movie. “Yes! They're in the closet!”

He laughed, rising when she jumped up. “You'll have to show me where that is. Your papi hasn't given me the tour yet.”

“I can tour.” Sirena reached for his hand, beaming. “D’you wanna see my room?”

“Sure,” he agreed. “Lead the way.”

She tugged him passed the kitchen to the hallway. It was short, only four doors littering it. She ignored the first three, tugging him down to the last one. She pushed it open to show off the reason why Lance likely wouldn't get his security deposit back when they moved out. He'd painted the walls for her. The soft lilac walls, pink handmade curtains, and scattering of soft toys and dolls left it very clear that this was a little girl’s room. Her daybed still had a safety bar because Lance was paranoid, but it was down during the day and the back was littered with an array of stuffed animals and decorative pillows. Lance had clearly helped her make her bed.

“This is my room, Keef! D’you like it?”

Keith looked around, taking in the bright colors and toys everywhere. It was a little bit too pink and purple for him, but he smiled anyway. “I love it. It's very you.”

“Papi and Uncle Teo painted it. I helped!” She hadn't done much of anything, but her dad and uncle had made the few sloppy strokes seem monumental. “It was lots o’fun!”

“It looks like it was. And I'm sure you did an amazing job.” He ruffled her hair again, amused by the curls bouncing. “Who made your curtains?”

“Papi. He sews real good.” She climbed onto her bed and grabbed a stuffed bear with angel wings and brought it to Keith. “She lost her wings and papi put them back!”

He inspected the stuffed animal, impressed by Lance's handiwork. Grinning, he handed it back to her. “He did a really good job. Do you have anything else you want to show me?”

“Um... Papi's room?”

“Uh.” Keith rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. “I'll see it later when he shows me. How about we find the games?”

“Okay. Are you gonna sleep in papi’s room?”

“Probably.” He glanced down at her, arching his brows. “Is that alright with you?”

“Mmhm.” Her papi had assured her that Keith didn't have a sleeping bag, and she'd let it go. But with Keith asking if it was okay and after he'd eaten dinner with them at their house, she was a little confused. The feeling of family wasn't as understood as it was for the girl as for the two adults. “Hunk and Pidge don't sleepover.”

“No?” That didn't surprise him, but he knew she was a little wary. “That's okay. If you want, I'll sleepover lots to make up for that.”

“With papi? Like...” She pressed the bear to her mouth, wide eyes on Keith's. “Like a mom?”

His heart started pounding and he could feel his cheeks turn bright red. His first thought was _yes, absolutely_ , but it was too early in their relationship to make those kinds of promises. Keith knew without a doubt, though, that he'd fill that role if they wanted him to. And it seemed like Sirena definitely wanted him to. “If- If you want.”

She nodded. “I want- I want a mami. I don't think papi wants me to want a mami though.”

Keith sighed softly, kneeling down to her level. He took her in his arms, hugging her firmly. “I think I know why he feels that way… but I don't want anything I say to go against him. And I think it's important for you to feel how you want to feel. I love you, Sirena, and I'd be happy and honored to be whatever you want or need me to be. But we'd have to talk to your papi about it. Not for a while, okay?”

She nodded, gripping his shirt with one hand. “How come?”

“We wanna get to know each other a little better first. We're new friends, so we just have to spend more time together. More sleepovers first.”

She sighed, accepting this. More sleepovers would be nice. “Okay, Keef. Can we go see my games now?”

“Yeah, sweetie, we can go see your games.” Keith gave her a small smile, kissing her forehead. “I love you, okay?”

“Okay. I love you too, Keef. Are you gonna sleepover tomorrow too?”

“We'll have to see,” he replied, rising with her still in his arms. “I have to work.”

“That's okay. Papi works an’ he still sleeps at home.”

“Hm, I'm not sure he'd be happy with me coming over after eleven, but… Well, we'll see. We might have to wait until my kitty meets your kitty first.”

“Kitties! Do you got pitchers?”

“Yep, on my phone. I'll show them to you when we get back to the couch, how's that?”

“‘Kay. I wanna see pink toes.” She let him carry her down the hall, where she pointed out Lance's room, the bathroom, and finally the closet. They didn't have many games and what they did have tended to end in “Jr.” “I like Guess Who an’ Pretty Pretty Princess best.”

“I've never played either of them, so we can do whichever one you want.”

“‘Kay!”

“Please don't tell me you two have been staring at games this whole time,” Lance said at the mouth of the hall, amused and adoring seeing Keith holding his smiling girl. “Popcorn’s done and the movie's ready.”

“Perfect. We're stuck between Guess Who and Pretty Pretty Princess.”

Lance's lips twitched. “I would start with Guess Who for now, but come on. If we don't start the movie now, someone isn't going to have time for a bubblebath.”

“Bubbly-bath! Keef, we gotta go watch the movie!”

“Alright, we're going, we're going.” He chuckled, bouncing her up higher on his hip. “Are you excited for popcorn?”

“Yes! Popcorn!”

Lance straightened from the wall when they drew closer, smiling and leaning in to kiss Keith's cheek. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Keith grinned, taking Lance's hand and squeezing. “We're excited for popcorn.”

“I hope so after I slaved over it.” Lance tugged him to the living room, dropping onto the couch. Normally, he'd take movie time to do some homework but he had worked ahead for once and wanted to use his time for cuddling instead.

Keith set Sirena down on the floor amongst her stuffed animals and crayons before taking a seat on the couch with Lance. Smiling, he immediately scooted closer, their thighs pressed together. He took Lance's hand in his, lacing their fingers. “I think we're all set.”

“Mmhm.” Lance happily drew his legs up onto the couch so he could cuddle closer to Keith and pressed play on the remote.

Sirena took her bowl of popcorn with a happy gasp. “Thank you, papi!”

“You're welcome, baby.” The second bowl was dropped in Keith's lap so they could share.

He immediately went for it, happily scooping up a handful and throwing a few pieces into his mouth. The white cheddar flavor was amazing, and he couldn't help but toss in a few more before he was even done. “This is amazing. It's been so long since I've had popcorn.”

Lance smiled, taking a piece for himself. “I really like that you're enjoying all of this so much when this is just how me and Sirena live.”

“It's easy to enjoy something I don't have on a regular basis. Especially since it's with two of my favorite people.”

“You're my favorite people, Keef.”

Lance chuckled, kissing Keith's cheek. “We're very happy to have you, _cariño_.”

Keith smiled. “I'm happy to be here.”

“Papi, he wants to come tomorrow after work.”

“Does he or is that what you want, _chiquita_?”

She bit her lip, looking up with a wicked little smile. “Both.”

“We'll talk it over later, baby. Now shh. Keith can't hear the movie.”

“Oops. Sorry, Keef,” she whispered.

He chuckled, waving it off. “It's alright, sweetie,” he replied just as softly, before really getting comfy and settling into the couch to watch.

Lance was happy to sit through the film. He hadn't actually watched it in some time, the bright colors and simple story normally just background music. But he enjoyed it, really enjoyed having someone's arm around him during it. He genuinely couldn't remember the last time someone had just held onto him. He'd forgotten how much he liked it, how much he loved easy affection. He hadn't had it since his daughter had been born, but Keith gave so easily. It made him happy. Keith was making him happy.

At the same time Lance was making Keith just as happy. He'd shown him a slice of what home could feel like, opening his arms and letting him into his and his daughter's life, and now Keith felt himself never wanting to leave. He would do anything he could to keep this, to be a part of an actual family. He only hoped that Lance would let him stay.

As the movie wound into the end credits, the heart of Te Fiti restored and Moana’s people off on a grand adventure, each McClain looked at him expectantly, one more amused and the other bubbling with excitement.

Keith smiled, nodding. “I liked it. It was really cute.” And his eyes may or may not have watered at the part where Moana’s grandmother's spirit showed up, but he'd never admit it out loud.

“You'll end up watching a few more then, so get ready.” Lance kissed his cheek and sat up straight, surveying the scattering of crayons and popcorn fluff. Great. “Alright, baby, what time is it?”

“Um... Cleanup time?”

“Yup. Give me your bowl and get your crayons in their box.”

She hefted it, beaming, and Lance set the smaller dish into the one he and Keith had shared. “Keef, did you like Tummy-toes?”

“He was the giant crab, right?”

“A shiny crab!”

“Right.” He smiled, reaching out to ruffle her curls. “He was pretty cool.”

“Shiny,” she sang, mumble-singing the rest since she didn't know the words as she cleaned up her crayons.

Lance smiled, standing carefully to avoid stepping on anything. “I'm gonna get these done and grab the hand vacuum.”

“Where is it?” Keith asked, standing up. “I can do that.”

“In the same closet as the games. Bottom shelf.”

“Okay, cool.” Maneuvering around Sirena and her clean up operation, Keith found the vacuum in the closet and brought it back to the living room, waiting until Sirena had gotten all of her crayons. He got the popcorn debris cleaned up quickly and the vacuum emptied and placed back in the closet, meeting Lance back in the living room. “All clean.”

“Thank you, Keith. It's bath time now, so I'm gonna start-”

Sirena tugged on his pant leg. “Can Keef pick my PJs, papi?”

“If he wants to, sure.”

He smiled. “Yeah, I can pick your PJs. Which drawer are they in?”

“The bottom one!” Because it was the only outfit Lance trusted her to pick out alone. She grabbed Keith's hand, her bundle of things cradled precariously in the crook of one arm. “I'll show you.”

Chuckling, he nodded, letting her lead the way back to her room. She dumped her stuff on the bed before dragging Keith to her dresser and pulling open the bottom drawer excitedly. “Okay, so I'll pick some out for you. You go meet your papi back in the bathroom for bath time.”

“I will. He's gotta wash my hair.” Sirena clasped her hands, rocking back and forth while Keith scanned the collection of nightgowns. “I gotta pick out my bath buddies. They live under the sink.”

Keith hummed, finally holding up a light blue nightgown with little white and yellow daisies on it. “I hope you pick out some fun bath buddies. How about this one?”

“Yes! It's blue!”

“Okay, perfect.” Smiling softly, he stood back up with her nightgown in hand. “I'll bring this to your papi and then you can have your bath.”

“‘Kay. Maybe I can have three whole bath buddies!” She followed him out, taking his hand, and sped into the bathroom to find the water and bubbles waiting. “Bubbly-bath!”

Lance chuckled, helping her out of her dress and into the tub. She happily threw bubbles skyward, pausing before she did it again when Lance set her toy basket on the counter. “Okay, baby, which two do you want?”

“Pippo and... two more? One plus two is three.”

Lance hummed, tossing in a plastic hippo with eyes that were starting to get washed away. “Do you think you've been good enough for three today?”

“I followed all the rules, papi. I was a good girl.”

“Hm... What do you think, Keith?”

It was hard to say no to that face. “I think she was really good. I say give her three.”

“Okay, baby. Three it is. Who do you want?”

“Pippo, mermaid Barbie, aaaaaand... rings? Please.”

He handed her the brightly colored rainbow rings and the Barbie, amused by the assortment. “Here you go.”

“Keef, look! Her tail’s all magic!”

He gasped in mock-excitement, though there was definitely a smile on his face. “That's so cool! It changes colors!”

“Yes!” The tail had been pink, but now that it was in the warm water it was a shining blue. “It's magic!”

“It sure is, baby.” Lance glanced back, grinning at Keith, and rolled up his sleeves. “Let's clean you up a little.”

Bath time was a wet, bubbly, playful adventure. Lance wasn't afraid to play with her even though it left his shirt wet. She was happy and even happier when Keith joined in too, and Lance's heart swelled. Keith was incredible and so giving with his time for this little girl who wasn't even his. Lance adored him, surprised and thrilled to have the opportunity to have him in their lives.

He knew it was time to start washing her when she started to yawn, using an oversized cup to wet her hair and washing it with gentle kneads of her scalp. He rinsed with the same cup, having her tilt her head back and blocking the stream of suds with a hand on her brow. He didn't trust the “no tears” label of her shampoo. The rest of her was washed quickly while the tub drained, and she laughed when Lance playfully rinsed her with the showerhead. “Keith, can you grab her towel off the door?”

“Yep.” He rose from the side of the tub, grabbing the pastel pink towel from the rod on the door. He passed it over to Lance with a smile. “What else?”

“That's it. I've got this.”

“I'm not sleepy, papi.”

Lance hefted her out of the tub to dry her hair first, clearing water from her ears. “Not at all?”

“Nuh-uh. I don't need bedtime.”

Lance smiled, wrapping the warm towel around her. Here came the difficult part of the night. “Every little girl needs a bedtime, _chiquita_.”

“Later, papi. Please?”

“We'll see, baby. We still have teeth to brush, right? And you get to pick out a whole book to read.”

She smothered a yawn in her towel. “Do I get to read to Keef too?”

Keith smiled, kissing the top of her head. “I'd love to hear a story.”

“‘Kay!”

Lance rose. “Do you want me to braid your hair while you read?”

“Yes!”

“You look even cuter with the braids, so I can see why you want them,” Keith mused.

She liked being held in Lance's lap while he braided and brushed her hair. “Uh-huh. Papi says they make my hair all curly.”

“They do.” Lance stroked her cheek and took hold of the towel to start drying her off and bundled her hair into it. “High hands,” he instructed, and pulled the nightie on when she lifted her hands up. “There we go. That's my pretty little lady, huh?”

“Yes, papi! Keef picked it.”

“Keith has pretty good taste.”

Cheeks dusted light pink, he smiled. “I try. Especially since I got you.”

“Keith has excellent taste,” Lance corrected, smiling. “Time to brush your teeth, baby.”

She dutifully pulled out her step stool and hopped up, reached for her toothbrush, and squeezed just a little bit of toothpaste onto the bristles. Lance let her handle that on her own, though he monitored to make sure she didn't leave the water running too long and got all her teeth nice and clean. His hand found Keith's, their fingers lacing. “You're doing pretty good tonight,” he murmured.

He slanted him an unimpressed look. “Did you think I wasn't going to?” he asked, just as quietly.

“I don't know.” Lance sent him an apologetic smile. “We've never had this before.”

“Well, I'm willing to give it to you anytime I can.”

“We're here. My schedule is going to bounce a little until her birthday. I need to be able to afford the day off and her presents, but I'll keep you updated if you keep me updated on yours.”

Keith nodded, squeezing his hand. “I don't know how well it's gonna work with me working til eleven most nights, but we'll figure it out.”

“Yeah, we will. I want to.”

“Me too. I really wanna make this work.”

Lance leaned against him, giving his hand a squeeze. They both wanted this to work, so he let his hope rise and stayed pressed close as long as he could.

\----


End file.
